Turtle Walker
A recently married young man in the 1970s with no knowledge of what a turtle nest even looked like, Satish Bhaskar nevertheless agreed to undertake sea turtle nesting research in India, where he had to travel by boat and on foot for months at a time. Armed with only a transistor radio, pencil, and notepad, he would turn in his reports when he was finally able to return—often through somewhat sketchy pickup rendezvous.
Satish became so captivated by sea turtles that he made the singular decision to widen his research and walked for years alone along the spectacular coastlines of India and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Cut with delightful conversations with a now elderly Satish and his wife Brenda, stunning cinematography, and an inspiring rhythmic soundtrack, director Taira Malaney (The Call of Pashmina, DocLands 2019) masterfully recounts a journey that single-handedly ushered in India’s necessary sea turtle conservation.
Director/s
Taira Malaney
Taira Malaney
TAIRA MALANEY is a documentary filmmaker from Goa, India. She develops her films alongside impact campaigns to address urgent social justice and environmental issues. Taira received her B.A. in Psychology from Occidental College, where her focus was on fostering empathy in youth. Since graduating, she has incorporated what she’s learned into directing, producing, and writing several award-winning short films. Her directorial debut feature, Turtle Walker, won the Grand Teton at the Jackson Wild Media Awards.