Cinema is not only a way of looking at the world, but also a means by which geographical distances are erased thanks to its sensitive gaze. Thus, the honesty of such a perspective often matters more than the structured narrative of a somewhat “artificial” construct. If the short documentary ‘Go Fish‘ has one great quality, it is certainly the clarity and undisguised delicacy with which the camera’s eye approaches the marginal existence of a maritime community. Without opting for a spectacular subject, Riya Agarwal belongs to that category of filmmakers for whom the language of cinema is primarily a compassionate way of plunging into the routine of territories that are perhaps less-known to the public.
Her project, however, is not “scientific” but rather humane, since the style she has chosen privileges the naturalness with which she illustrates indigenous activities over a distant and objective attitude for which the goal is a series of quantifiable results. On the contrary, watching this short project implies a warm involvement on the part of the spectator who is never for a moment disconnected from the atmosphere of the whole construct by an adjacent narrative voice or by the interventions of testimonials. The image unfolds according to the principles of Italian neorealism, where authenticity and the truthful relationship between individuals and their society take precedence over narrative structure. This is a short documentary concerned with the organicity of the atmosphere, the invisible human links between the “characters”, the behind-the-scenes routines that ensure subsistence, but also the small inherent tensions that can disrupt this calmness.
In the face of a documentary so disinterested in conveying concrete information, one could say that Riya Agarwal’s project is more of a stylistic exercise with poetic overtones that sees in the relationship between the two brothers the pretext for a purely contemplative rather than analytical act. Indeed, the warmth emanating from this glance gliding over the surface of the water before dawn, while capturing the gestures that make up the activity of the two fishermen, succinctly sketches the cyclical formula of the existence of this community. Certainly, the deceptive simplicity of this aesthetic will take the sceptical viewer by surprise, as ‘Go Fish’ is a project whose almost evanescent substance has the quality of a sensory experience that is as diffuse as it is persistent. We are confident that Riya Agarwal’s artistic potential will lead to outstanding future cinematic projects, while also leaving us eager for an extended version of this captivating short documentary.
