One Ocean Hub
Two stories from Indigenous coastal communities in Namibia and South Africa.
HURININ
PEOPLE OF THE SEA
We teamed up with non-profit One Ocean Hub and our partners at What Took You So Long? to tell two stories from Namibia and South Africa about Indigenous coastal communities’ struggle against marginalization as they seek recognition for their ocean-related heritage, knowledge and rights.
During Namibia’s colonial rule, the Topnaar sub-clan known as the Hurinin (‘the sea-people’) were forced out of the coastal areas, disrupting their centuries-old reliance on ocean resources. In contemporary Namibia, the Topnaar continue to be excluded from decision-making on the ocean.
The film shows how the One Ocean Hub has fostered connections between the Topnaar community and national and international actors to ensure more inclusive decision-making on the ocean. The film also depicts how songs, poems and dances specifically related to fishing and the ocean were once an integral part of Topnaar culture. Today, these cultural expressions of their former ocean-based way of life survive in the memory of very few Topnaar elders.
Produced by - Kogia & What Took You So Long?
Director, Cinematography & Edit - Fanny Lindström
Producer, Cinematography & Drone - Nessim Stevenson
Executive Producer - Laura Meriläinen
Post-production Producer - Sam Mulvey
Color Grade: Alex O’Brien / Okay Studio
Sound Design: Robin Carlheim-Müller
MAPPING FOR JUSTICE
The film ‘Mapping for Justice’ shows how the Hub together with its partners in South Africa has been supporting the people of Kosi Bay to claim recognition of their customary rights in the context of the iSimangaliso UNESCO World Heritage Site. Research co-produced by the Hub and the local community highlights poor participation, and lack of recognition of Indigenous knowledge systems and cultural heritage related to coastal land as human rights issues arise from the exclusionary nature of conservation and ocean governance processes and practices at local, national and international levels.
Produced by - Kogia & What Took You So Long?
Director, Cinematography, Drone & Edit - Nessim Stevenson
Cinematography - Fanny Lindström
Executive Producer - Laura Meriläinen
