Morning Star

Andaboy is a sacred beach in southwestern Madagascar. The ancestors say the beach should be left untouched, as a shamanic musician sings in trance. The local fishermen are therefore deeply concerned when Australian company Base Toliara proposes building a harbor there, displacing 8,000 residents. The fishermen were already troubled by the Chinese trawlers that are decimating fish stocks, and now they fear an even greater invasion.

The local people inland also depend on fishing: they make canoes for the fishermen. And they in turn are fighting a large-scale mining project by Base Toliara. In Morning Star a number of activists clearly and passionately express their objections to the sale of their land to foreign companies. At the same time, director Nantenaina Lova paints an engaging, observational portrait of the villagers’ music culture and daily life. To keep up their courage, fisherman Edmond has named his canoe “Aza kivy”: Let’s not give up.