“STOLEN FISH” WINS JURY PRIZE
The documentary by Gosia Juszczyk received the jury prize at the Livable Planet Film Festival in the US.
Livable Planet Film Festival is a new event on the festival map focusing on productions that raise awareness about environmentalism and protecting our planet. Its program includes independent films from around the world.
One of the films invited into the competition was the Polish-British co-production “Stolen Fish” directed by Gosia Juszczak. The award-winning film is set in Gambia, the smallest country in mainland Africa, where fish are running low. Ever since Chinese fishmeal factories were built there – most of them are processed into animal feed and then sent to China and Europe. Despite protests, the huge neo-colonial business flourishes, and the promises of new roads and hundreds of jobs turn out to be nothing more than an illusion. The stories of fishermen Paul and Abou and fish merchant Mariam put an intimate frame around the story of West Africa's stolen development and the need to look for a better life in Europe. The thirty-minute-long “Stolen Fish” is both the director's debut and the first film that outlines the disastrous impact Chinese fishmeal factories have had on Gambia despite having been established only 3 years ago.
You can read more about the festival here.