University’s climate change film to premier at international film festival
24 June 2025
A short film about the effects of climate change on traditional fishing communities on the islands of Tanzania – which has been put together as part of a joint project between the Royal Agricultural University (RAU) and the University of Dar es Samaan in Tanzania - is to premier at this week’s Zanzibar International Film Festival 2025.
Funded by the British Academy’s ODA (Official Development Assistance) Challenge-Oriented Research Grants, the 25-minute documentary Bahari ni Maisha Yetu, which translates as The Sea Is Our Life, highlights the activities and perspectives of local artisanal fishing communities on the islands of Zanzibar and Pemba off the coast of Tanzania, capturing their experiences of the effects of climate change on their lives and livelihoods.
Fishing and other maritime practices are a core element of the region’s heritage with a long history evidenced across the archaeological and historical record.
The film has been made as part of the ‘Giving Us Voice; Curating community perspectives on the impact of climate change on marine resource exploitation’ project which aims to understand how these coastal communities are affected by, and are adapting to, the effects of climate change, and to therefore inform fisheries policy in the islands.
The project has been led by Dr Annalisa Christie, a Senior Lecturer and Research Fellow in the Royal Agricultural University’s Cultural Heritage Institute, in collaboration with Dr Elgidius Ichumbaki, and students, from the University of Dar es Salaam and Dr Christie’s colleague Professor Mark Horton, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research and Enterprise) and Director of Research at the RAU.
Dr Christie said: ““Like many coastal communities around the world, in Zanzibar and Pemba nearly 90% of the population draw their livelihoods from the sea through small scale artisanal fishing practices - using traditional gears such as basket traps, fence traps, gill nets and hand-lines, fishing from traditional dhows and dug out outrigger canoes (ngalwa) propelled by sail and paddles - that form a key part of their cultural heritage.
“Fishing, and its associated activities, also represent one of the most important economic sub sectors in Tanzania - contributing between 1.6% and 1.8% GDP, directly employing around 200,000, while the wider fisheries industries contribute $45m to the economy and employ around 4.7 million people.
“But the way of life of these artisanal fishing communities is being increasingly threatened by offshore international trawlers, a local shift towards non-traditional 'ring netting', and the creation of marine conservation zones. On top if this comes climate change with reef acidification, coral bleaching, warming sea temperatures, rising sea levels, and increased variability in wind.”
Between January and March this year, the project team spoke to more than 250 people on the islands of Zanzibar and Pemba, providing insight into why the sea is important to them, and to understand the nature of their activities, the challenges they face, and the changes they have seen.
Dr Christie explained: “Some of these interviewees spoke on camera and their stories have been included in the documentary. Filmed across Zanzibar and Pemba, Bahari ni Maisha Yetu is a call to action, a reminder that protecting the sea is a shared responsibility that begins by listening to those living closer to its tides.
“In the documentary they explain some of many challenges they face as a result of climate change effects including the reduction of fish stocks, increasing unpredictability in the weather and rising sea levels and how share how their strategies for adaptation. Their stories are a call to action: to help them to protect the sea, protect their livelihoods and ensure their futures.
“It has been a real privilege to have been able to work with these communities, to hear their stories and, through this documentary, to provide a space for them to share their experiences of climate change on a major international platform.”
Professor Horton added: “It’s a great tribute to the hard work of the team that we have been included in the Zanzibar International Film Festival. Our film has a strong message about the sustainability of these fishing communities as they face the challenge of climate change in the Indian Ocean”.
While in Tanzania, the team also led workshops with women to co-create graphic novels that convey their experiences and the ways climate change is affecting their livelihoods and lives.
While some of these highlighted the hardships and impacts on social cohesion arising from the effects of climate change, they also showcased the value the women placed in the importance of villagers coming together to promote conservation and environmental regeneration.
The team’s findings will be examined comparatively to identify now to better support the resilience of these communities and their heritage.
Further information
Bahari ni Maisha Yetu (The Sea is Our Life) is a 25-minute documentary produced by the British Academy-funded ‘Giving Us Voice’ project, led by the Royal Agricultural University (UK) and the University of Dar es Salaam (Tanzania).
The screening and workshop, coordinated by members of the project team including Dr Christie (RAU) and Dr Ichumbaki (University of Dar es Salaam), will take place at the Zanzibar International Film Festival between 9am and 11am (East Africa Time) on Saturday 28 June 2025.
The Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF), also known as Festival of the Dhow Countries, takes place between Wednesday 25 and Sunday 29 June 2025. It is an annual film festival held in Zanzibar, Tanzania, and one of the largest cultural events in East Africa.
ZIFF is a non-governmental organization established in 1997 to develop and promote film and other cultural industries as catalyst for the regional social and economic growth.
The ‘Giving Us Voice’ project was funded by the British Academy’s ODA Challenge-Oriented Research Grants, supported under the UK Government’s International Science Partnerships Fund.