Just off the beach, we witness and recorded a dhow being born from the moment the very first wood is laid on the ground until it becomes an 8.5-meter boat ready to sail the sea. Through the hands, wisdom and ancient knowledge of dhow maker Daúdo and Fátima who makes the khero ropes out of coconut fiber, a new dhow is ready to enter the water.

Through long sailing journeys, following monsoon winds and guided by the stars, we enter the rich universe of the Nakhoda, the dhow captain who for centuries has mastered the hidden secrets of the sea.

Women and men of the sea chant the past, the present and the future. It is through the sea chants that the world is absorbed and comprehended. Sea chants are also a transmission of wisdom, knowledge and tradition from one generation to next one.

Every year from July to Sept, humpback whales migrate from the South pole to the warmer waters of the Island of Mozambique to mate, give birth, and initiate the new born whales. During this period, the big mammals become part of the seascape in a harmonious choreography of canoes, dhows and whales.

A fisherman in bonded with mermaid in a balanced coexistence between humankind and nature.

The same sea that provides food and a safe place to be, has also been the entry port of a lot of violence, from slavery, to colonialism, to civil war and terror. Severe cyclones and the sea level rising have also violently destroyed people’s lives.

The winds are changing and so are the tides, the rains and the sea. Women and men of the sea have been closely witnessing those changes for a quite a while now yet their voices are yet to heard.

A round chat about the stories, the challenges and the adventures lived by the 8 members of the team, throughout the making of this work.