Rann review: Captures the dichotomy between life and the seeming nothingness of the desert

Directed by Peter Simpson, Shuchi Kothari and Sarina Pearson, the 20 minute-long documentary Rann observes the way of life and labour of salt-pan workers in the Little Rann of Kutch.

Amidst the sparse, treacherous landscape of the desert, the salt workers quietly go about their work, harvesting salt amidst harsh conditions. The workers are up before sunrise to get started on the salt pans early. With precious few facilities and even fewer resources, the Agariyas (a tribe) work meticulously in the desert.

Sans dialogues, the observational documentary foregrounds the stark imagery of the barren landscape. The simple homes of the people of the Rann are framed against the vast desert, bringing to focus their isolation. There are multiple shots of the endless desert, mirages, vast tracts of barren land. But there is beauty and life to be found here as well.

We see the rivulets and glistening hills of salt that are meticulously harvested, donkeys and buffaloes that pepper the landscape, and plants that thrive despite the dire scarcity of water. Peter Simpson’s stunning cinematography captures the dichotomy between life and the seeming nothingness in the desert.

Rann was screened as part of the DC South Asian Film Festival 2022.

Correction, 3 February 2022: An earlier version of the review misspelt co-director Shuchi Kothari's first name.