Private Project

STOLEN FISH

In the tiniest country of mainland Africa, The Gambia, fish is now being powdered up by Chinese corporations and exported to Europe and China to feed animals in industrial farming. As a result, Gambians are being deprived of their primary source of protein and overfishing is depleting marine ecosystems. The film follows Abou, Mariama and Paul, three Gambians who share intimate stories of daily struggle, anger, hope and longing for their loved ones in the midst of difficult migration routes. The first film on Gambia’s fishmeal factories, offering a unique insight into untold drivers of migration and the role played by women in new economic systems.

  • Gosia Juszczak
    Director
  • Gosia Juszczak
    Writer
  • Filip Drożdż
    Cinematography
  • Adriana F. Castellanos
    Edited by
  • Dariusz Wancerz
    Sound mix and post-production
  • Igor Kłaczyński
    Sound recording
  • Ebrahim Alfadhala
    Colour grading
  • Marta Florkowska-Dwojak
    Graphic design
  • Magdalena Juszczak
    Graphic design
  • Minority Rights Group International
    Executive Producer
  • Gosia Juszczak
    Producer
  • Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung Oficina de Enlace Madrid
    Co-Producer
  • Compassion in World Farming
    Co-Producer
  • Emilia Pluskota
    Line Producers
  • Aleksandra Leszczyńska
    Line Producers
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Genres:
    Social issues, human rights, sustainability, globalisation, colonialism, environment, climate, borders, migration
  • Runtime:
    30 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    June 10, 2020
  • Country of Origin:
    Poland
  • Country of Filming:
    Gambia
  • Language:
    English, Wolof
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Sheffield Doc/Fest

    United Kingdom
    July 10, 2020
    World Premiere
    "10 Most Radical Films at Sheffield Doc/Fest" by VICE Magazine: https://i-d.vice.com/en_uk/article/ep4z8p/10-radical-films-you-need-to-see-from-this-years-sheffield-docfest "Top 10 Shorts at Sheffield Doc/Fest" by Documentary Weekly/Film Fest Report: https://documentaryweekly.com/home/2020/6/30/top-10-shorts-at-sheffield-docfest-2020
  • Man in Danger

    Poland
    November 24, 2020
    Polish Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Sustainable Living Film Festival

    Turkey
    December 1, 2020
    Turkish Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Watch Docs Human Right Film Festival

    Poland
    December 13, 2020
    Official Selection
  • Afrykamera

    Poland
    December 20, 2020
    Special Mention: “for a brilliant presentation of the complexity of the issues of globalization, environment and migration in a nutshell, as well as for a complete departure from the pro-Western perspective and empathetic approach while giving the voice to the Gambian protagonists”
  • Miradas Doc
    Guia de Isora, Tenerife
    Spain
    February 26, 2021
    Spanish Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital
    Washington DC
    United States
    March 18, 2021
    Americas Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Cameroon International Film Festival

    Cameroon
    April 20, 2021
    African Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Livable Planet Film Festival
    San Francisco
    United States
    April 22, 2021
    Official Selection
  • Millenium International Film Festival
    Brussels
    Belgium
    May 5, 2021
    Belgian Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Festival de Cine Africano de Tarifa
    Tarifa
    Spain
    May 28, 2021
    Official Selection
  • DOC EDGE International Documentary Film Festival
    Auckland, Wellington
    Australia
    June 7, 2021
    Australasia Premiere
    Official Selection
  • New Jersey International Film Festival
    New Jersey
    United States
    June 22, 2021
    Official Selection
  • One World Film Festival

    Slovakia
    June 2, 2021
    Slovak Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Green Film Festival
    Cracow
    Poland
    August 19, 2021
    Best Polish Film, Best Short Documentary
Distribution Information
  • Gosia Juszczak
    Distributor
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Gosia Juszczak

Gosia Juszczak is a Polish director and producer based in Spain, graduate of the documentary directing course at Andrzej Wajda Film School in Warsaw. In her documentary work, Gosia focuses on social issues, human rights, migration and borders.

Her last documentary, STOLEN FISH, was ranked by VICE Magazine as one of the 10 most radical films to see at Sheffield Doc/Fest, was nominated for the Oscar-qualifying Best Short Award at Doc Edge in New Zealand, and was screened at 40+ film festivals worldwide and awarded at many.

Apart from her filmmaking career, Gosia is a journalist, translator and public speaker as former Human Rights observer in the Middle East. Among others, she moderated a debate after the screening of Oscar-nominated “Five broken cameras” at Docs Against Gravity film festival.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

In The Gambia, the smallest and one of the poorest countries of continental Africa, fish is the main source of protein. Yet there’s a worrying trend – an increasing amount of fish is being powdered up by Chinese fishmeal factories and exported predominantly to Europe and China to feed animals in industrial farming. Since these factories appeared in The Gambia, fish has become a luxury good and overfishing is depleting marine ecosystems. In this context, the film follows Abou, Mariama and Paul, three Gambians who share their intimate stories of daily struggle, anger, hope and longing for their loved ones in the midst of difficult migration routes.

STOLEN FISH is the first movie, I dare to say, that highlights the impacts of this new Chinese fishmeal industry on the lives of Gambians who depend on fish to sustain their livelihood. The factories are currently being protested against and challenged in court by local activists and communities, and they are the focus of a recent Greenpeace campaign that warns of an imminent catastrophe if the wasteful practice of producing fishmeal is not stopped.

Although it outlines global issues, STOLEN FISH is a narrative piece told from the perspective of those whose lives are trapped in this neo-colonial mechanism. It offers unique insight into untold drivers of migration from this small African country and the resilience of a nation with hope for change.