Watch: Kokoli-Love during climate emergency

Snehasis Das

Kokoli recounts the love story of the protagonist by the titular name and her fisherman lover in Nalia Sai slum. The story has a backdrop of global sea level rise and captures the critical issue of global climate change.

The fishing hamlet Penthakata in Puri, which is the heart and soul of ‘’Kokoli’, has completely devastated by the extremely severe Cyclone Fani on May 3rd 2019 in Odisha. The fishing village which is swallowed by the rise of sea level in the reel (Movie), has destroyed in real.

As the sea level rise is the slow onset effect of climate change in the long-term, the intensity and fury of cyclone Fani is a rapid onset event of climate change. The Sea line across Odisha is in danger of both sea level rise and severity of cyclones- both fueled by climate change.

Since its first public screening of Kokoli, it took four months to wipe out a village at the coast by climate change.

Synopsis – ‘KOKOLI’ (fish out of water) is famously said that when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it. However, in Kokoli, it seems as if nature’s fury is in a bid to separate two lovers. Kokoli recounts the love story of the protagonist by the titular name and her fisherman lover in Nalia Sai slum.

The story has a backdrop of global sea level rise and captures the critical issue of global climate change. It depicts the emotional upheavals of fishermen as they prepare to abandon their slum in the face of imminent sea level rise. The fishermen who have developed deep attachment with the slum go through an array of emotions like fear, anger, frustration as they prepare to leave their slum. While some others turn to Lord Jagannath for their rescue.

Kokoli is a story of love in the times of global crisis, but can love be stopped by the tempest of mother nature? Will love be victorious in dodging the onslaught of fierce global climate change? What can be more devastating? A displaced community or a broken heart?

Kokoli sets out to address one of the most important questions about climate change with a touch of love story that is both poignant and reinvigorating at the same time. We all aware of the consequences of climate change , mainly the deadly effects of global warming. Now It becomes a matter of great concern in the third world countries. Due to the extensive rapid industrialisation, deforestation, green house gases and maximum consumption of fossil fuels the situation is becoming worst.

The feature film Kokoli comes with a strong social message on climate change that the natives of Coastal Odisha district of Odisha in India .

This feature film, has highlighted the socio-economic life of fishing community living in the Penthakata (Puri costal area) through a love story. Coastal fishing community has no other option instead of leaving the place & occupation. Where the people will go, what occupation they will adopt, these questions motivated to come up with a feature film on such climate change issue.

This film is in Odia language with English subtitles

A film by Snehasis Das, a visual chronicler based in Odisha, India and is part of The Naked Eye, working on visual communication.  

Music in this video

Song: Eye Of Horus

Artist: Mark Petrie, Gina Brigida

Album: ANW2802 – Maximum Impact Atonement

Licensed to YouTube by: Audio Network (on behalf of Audio Network Limited); BMI – Broadcast Music Inc., Abramus Digital, LatinAutor, and 10 Music Rights Societies