A tribute to a vanishing world | The Express Tribune

ISLAMABAD:

“Wow… wow,” filmmaker Jawad Sharif reacted as his film ‘Moklani – The Last Mohanas’ won Pakistan’s first-ever Jackson Wild Media Award in the United States last week – an honour often dubbed the ‘Nature Oscars’.

In an Instagram post announcing the win, Sharif dedicated “this award to the Mohana fisherfolk, to Pakistan, and to all indigenous communities whose stories, struggles, and wisdom inspire us to keep telling the stories that matter.” Produced by Jawad Sharif Films with the support of the National Geographic Society and Climate Kahani, ‘Moklani’ made history on October 2, becoming the first Pakistani film to win at the prestigious award.

Sharif called the award – which honours excellence in storytelling about the environment, conservation, and humanity’s connection to nature – not merely a personal milestone but a tribute to “a community the world risks overlooking.”

He said the film sought to draw attention to the Mohana of Manchar Lake – an indigenous fisherfolk community in Sindh, whose centuries-old way of life is vanishing under the weight of pollution, declining water levels, and climate change.

The filmmaker, who spent four years on the project, described ‘Moklani’ as “a love letter to a disappearing world,” adding that the recognition proved Pakistan could stand tall in the realm of global environmental cinema.

He thanked “everyone who has been part of this remarkable journey over the past four years and specifically our team – without your support and love, nothing would have been possible.”

‘Moklani’ won in the Global Voices Category, which honours films that amplify underrepresented perspectives and communities around the world. It was selected from over 500 submissions and judged by more than 200 international experts.

The film is both visually arresting and emotionally resonant. It follows the Mohana people, once known as the “Boat Nomads of Sindh,” who have lived for generations on floating boathouses across Manchar Lake, one of South Asia’s largest freshwater lakes.

Now, that world is collapsing. The film captures the beauty and sorrow of a culture facing extinction. Its logline encapsulates the mood: the Mohanas are “bidding farewell to a unique heritage that has sustained them for centuries.”

At the heart of ‘Moklani’ are two powerful human portraits – Akbar, a lifelong boatman torn between staying on his ancestral waters or leaving in search of survival, and Hakim Zadi, a Mohana woman whose quiet resilience embodies the strength of her people. Through their stories, the film mirrors both ecological devastation and cultural dislocation – the twin crises shaping life on the lake.

The documentary’s imagery blends realism with lyricism. Described as “a lyrical elegy – part witness, part plea,” it moves between the fading rhythms of daily life and the haunting silence of waters that no longer sustain.

The Jackson Wild Media Awards, regarded as one of the world’s most prestigious honours for nature and science storytelling, recognised ‘Moklani’ for its depth and authenticity. This year’s edition saw record international participation, reflecting the global urgency of environmental narratives.

For Sharif, the win also marks a turning point for Pakistani cinema – a sign that stories rooted in local landscapes and struggles can resonate on the world stage. “The Mohanas’ story is Pakistan’s story,” he said. “It’s about what we stand to lose if we stop listening to our land and water.”

Beyond its environmental message, ‘Moklani’ also underscores the spiritual rupture that comes with ecological loss. For some Mohanas, the lake remains sacred; for others – particularly the youth – hope lies on dry land. The word ‘Moklani’, meaning farewell, symbolises this painful parting between past and future.

As Pakistan grapples with the realities of climate disruption, ‘Moklani – The Last Mohanas’ stands as both testimony and tribute – to a community at risk, a culture in transition, and a filmmaker who believed that the story of a single lake could echo across the world.