The Salt in Our Waters

 The Salt in Our Waters (2020, Bangladesh/France, Rezwan Shahriar Sumit)

A mysterious box. Someone was bound to ask: “What do you have inside?”

“My universe”, replies Rudro (Titas Zia).

What could the box contain? The mystery deepens as the journey continues. Finally, Rudro and the box arrive at their destination to a remote Bangladeshi fishing village. Multiple men are required to carry and transport the box from the small boat.

The Salt in Our Waters (2020)

Once the box opens, the contents are puzzling to some locals. The box contains many sculptures, some clay ones, which are mistaken to be idols by a few men. Gradually, troubling connections start. The village is in the middle of some problems related to lack of ilish fish in the waters. The village chairman (Fazlur Rahman Babu) claims the arrival of Rudro and the idols are responsible for less fish in the waters thereby impacting the livelihood of the villagers. Rudro’s presence is treated with suspicion and he doesn’t help matters as he makes multiple mistakes immediately after arriving, one of the major ones being talking to the local women. He talks to the young, old, whomever he can find. He even talks with the children, which infuriates the elders and religious men who feel he is polluting the children’s minds.

On top of all, he goes off and falls in love with the quiet Tuni (a career defining brilliant performance by Tasnova Tamanna), who is an independent thinker and willing to go against her family and community.

Underneath the surface, there is an old debate in play here: old ways of doing things vs new ideas, religion vs science, blind faith vs rational thought. This eternal battle is omnipresent, not only in Bangladesh but almost all parts of the world. Credit to Rezwan Shahriar Sumit for an insightful treatment which looks at this battle on a personal level yet the film’s layered approach smartly alludes to universal social and economic problems many communities are facing due to changing environmental patterns. The film also takes time to highlight the hardships of the villagers and the daily dangers they face fishing in the choppy waters. In a remarkable sequence, Rudro feels the full brunt of the choppy waters as he goes along with the fishermen out to sea. The Chairman, an experienced fishermen, warns Rudro about the stomach churning waves but Rudro ignores the Chairman. The brilliantly filmed sequence proves to be an eye-opening one for Rudro whose perspective changes after he returns.

There is a poetic brilliance to The Salt in Our Waters which is packed with many stunning images and plenty of contemplative moments, especially when the camera observes the approaching storm and violent waters. Even though The Salt in Our Waters was released in 2020, it is an early contender for one of the best films of 2021.

The Salt in Our Waters (2020)