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Maldivian Fishermen الوظيفة الأساسية: فيديو by Aishath Naajila

Maldivian Fishermen الوظيفة الأساسية: فيديو by Aishath Naajila is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 جائزة A' Design Award الفضية in تصميم الأفلام والفيديو والرسوم المتحركة Competition Category.


فضةالأفلام· 2026

Maldivian Fishermen الوظيفة الأساسية: فيديو

by Aishath Naajila

Client: Two Thousand Isles

جائزة A' Design Award الفضية Winner in الأفلام Category

Colors

The Design

About Maldivian Fishermen الوظيفة الأساسية: فيديو

نص الكتاب: يُبرز فيلم "صيادو المالديف" الطريقة التقليدية لصيد سمك التونة بالصنارة والقصبة المفردة في جزر المالديف، وهي طريقة مستدامة كثيرًا ما تُوصف بأنها شريان الحياة لهذه الدولة الجزرية. فعلى مدى أجيال، ظلت التونة غذاءً أساسيًا يدعم الحياة اليومية في مختلف الجزر. ومن خلال تبنّي أسلوب سردي مصحوب بمشاهد سينمائية وتصميم صوتي غامر، يلتقط المشروع صورًا للصيادين المهرة وهم يعملون بإيقاع منسّق على متن قارب "الدوني" التقليدي، مما ينقل هذه التجربة إلى منصة عالمية.

The Recognition

About the جائزة A' Design Award الفضية

Maldivian Fishermen الوظيفة الأساسية: فيديو هو فائز بجائزة A' Design Award الفضية، وهي تقدير رفيع المكانة بصورة استثنائية يُمنح للتصاميم الرفيعة المستوى والجميلة والمبهرة. والفائزون بالفضية هم أعمال لامعة بشدة وشديدة الإبداع تجسّد الخبرة والموهبة وحدة الذكاء المتميزة لدى مصمميها. ويُتوقع أن يكون Maldivian Fishermen الوظيفة الأساسية: فيديو عملًا رائعًا يُعرض كنموذج، شديد الاحترافية وعميق الابتكار. وهذا التصميم الفائز بجائزة A' Design Award الفضية اختراع جدير بالذكر ومحل إعجاب، يعود بالنفع ويوسّع حدود الفن والعلم والتصميم والتكنولوجيا. وMaldivian Fishermen الوظيفة الأساسية: فيديو إبداع يغبطه الكثيرون، يثير الرغبات ويبعث مشاعر إيجابية ويشعل الدهشة والإعجاب.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties
This is an independently produced documentary visual project capturing the traditional pole-and-line fishing practice in the Maldives. Created during COVID-19 while in isolation at sea, it combines cinematography, sound design, and immersive storytelling. Its strength lies in its authenticity, produced within real conditions of isolation, offering an intimate, unfiltered portrayal of Maldivian fishermen. The work stands out for its experiential approach, blending heritage, resilience, and cinematic realism.
Dimensions & Packaging
Shot aboard a 100-foot pole-and-line fishing dhoni, the project documents Maldivian fishermen working at sea with precise, coordinated movements resembling a disciplined system. Through aerial perspectives, it captures the ocean’s food chain in motion, sharks, skipjack tuna, and fishermen, framing these moments to reflect the deep connection between this traditional practice and the Maldives’ identity and way of life.
Tags
sustainable, fishing, pole and line, Maldives, tuna, ocean, documentry
Production Technology
Filmed on a Sony A7 III with 35mm, 85mm, and 70–200mm lenses, with aerials via DJI Phantom 4 and underwater footage on a GoPro during freediving, the project was produced independently,covering planning, real-time filming, editing, sound design, and colour grading. An unobtrusive approach allowed fishermen to work naturally, ensuring an authentic, unstaged portrayal without direction.
Design Challenge
The project faced logistical constraints, including limited equipment, a single drone battery requiring precise planning, and long waits for unpredictable moments at sea. The first four days saw no catch due to bait shortages, and underwater footage relied solely on a GoPro. Adapting strategically, key moments were captured to form an authentic narrative of the fishermen’s practice and the ocean’s food chain.
Research
Documentary visual research on sustainable pole-and-line fishing in the Maldives. Field-based observation and immersive filming were conducted over 8 days in March 2020 aboard a local fishing vessel during the COVID-19 period. Data was collected through photography, film, aerial, and underwater footage. Participants included local fishermen. The results highlight ecological balance, resilience, and coordination. The impact emphasizes cultural preservation and awareness of sustainable fishing practices.
Inspiration
Inspired by a lifelong curiosity about fishing in the Maldives, the project evolved through Two Thousand Isles, where travel deepened an interest in storytelling and lived experience. While learning freediving, the filmmaker joined an eight-day trip on a local boat, living at sea, waking before dawn and at midnight, eating the catch, and observing the ocean’s food chain in motion.
Project Duration
Filmed over eight days aboard a fishing vessel in March 2020, during the early stages of COVID-19, the project was later completed with full post-production, editing, sound design, and colour grading, independently carried out later that year.
Operation Flow
Operated on a traditional pole-and-line dhoni, the method relies on coordinated teamwork and timing rather than machinery. Fishermen attract skipjack tuna with live bait, triggering a feeding response where fish are hooked individually. Key moments, bait release, surface frenzy, precise catching, transform ocean activity into a sustainable harvest, reducing bycatch and ensuring quality, rooted in skill, patience, and harmony with marine life.
Patents
All the copyrights belong to Aishath Naajila, 2023.
Image Credits
Videography & Photography: Aishath Naajila

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