Africa Direct

Fishing Wood: Disappearing driftwood in Sudan

The centuries-old tradition of driftwood fishing in the Blue Nile is under threat in Sudan.

Yousif Saaed Hamza is a fisherman – but his catch is driftwood rather than fish.

This old tradition – by which generations made a living – is now in crisis, with the drifting wood becoming scarce.

Fishing Wood, by Alsanosi Adam, takes us onto the Blue Nile in Al-Damazin district, Sudan. We meet Yousif and his fellow fishermen who, after a fruitless day on the river, repair their nets and speculate about the changes that threaten their livelihoods.

Alsanosi Adam is an award-winning Sudanese filmmaker, journalist and radio producer with an interest in social justice and human rights projects. He has made more than a dozen short films across Sudan, an acclaimed feature documentary, Losing Oakland, in the United States, and several long-running radio programmes around peace-building.