SAND FISHERS

“Sand Fishers” screens at 1 p.m., Sunday, May 26, at the Renton IKEA Performing Arts Center, 400 S. Second St., in downtown Renton. Tickets are available at online at siff.net.

Here’s the film’s description from the Seattle International Film Festival.

The Bozo people of Mali are famous for their fishing and are often referred to as the “masters of the river.” They have a recognized connection with the spirits of the water that their neighboring communities do not possess. The Niger River is the principal vein of Mali and especially the rapidly modernizing city of Bamako. The Bozos have been finding their pirogues (fishing boats) coming up empty, and in recent years many have transitioned to fishing for sand. While Mali has a lot of sand, the best for construction is found at the bottom of the river. The “fishers” must dive to the river bed and fill their pirogues with the premium sand for sale to contractors in Bamako. Director Samouté Andrey Diarra has crafted a superb examination of a rare profession that is born out of necessity and finite, both in terms of the resources of sand and the reality that machines will soon replace this unusual physical labor. With a mix of direct interviews and cinematic observation, “Sand Fishers” draws the audience in to this extraordinary world and presents a portrait of life that has to be seen to be believed. Director: Samoute Andrey Diarra. Mali/France 2012 (93 minutes)

Watch the trailer

Participate in the Renton Reporter SIFF-Renton Trivia Contest. Prizes: Tickets to the SIFF opening-night screening and gala