A Siege of Salt and Sand-Review
October 2, 2023
The film A Siege of Salt and Sea is an informative piece demonstrating how the combination of geographical location and climate change impacts the traditions and livelihood of Tunisian citizens.
By interviewing citizens and scientists instead of politicians or authorities, the filmmakers captured how desertification and rising sea levels impact daily life. The citizens spoke of their worries for the future, their children, and how climate change affects how people live and spend money. Climate change has forced many Tunisians to choose between supporting their families or fighting the impact of climate change. In addition, citizens experience how insect infestations affect daily lives, even when politicians may not be inclined to elaborate on such issues.
Many interviewees spoke of their childhood and the rapid change that has occurred in the last decades in their hometowns and regions.
The film’s structure also demonstrates that much of the pressure to mitigate the effects of climate change is placed upon affected citizens when policy is a preferable way to tackle the issue. Multiple persons mentioned their dissatisfaction with how authorities handled the climate crisis.
The filmmakers also included the Arab Spring and how they have become one of the first nations to include climate change in their constitutions. It demonstrates how the people of Tunisia value the environment and a sustainable future if policy allows them to access such a future.