Rann (2020)

Over the span of a winter day, Rann quietly observes an intricate network of people, plants and animals, challenging our notion that deserts are empty barren expanses of nothingness. Here in the Little Rann of Kutchh, endangered species like wild ass (Equus hemionus khur) compete with domestic cattle from bordering villages. Invasive mesquite threatens to choke the desert but also provides food, shade and firewood. The ubiquitous beat of the borewell pump reminds us that here in the middle of 'nowhere' there is the life and labour of Agariyas who pan salt in the harshest of conditions. The desert is never empty. Rann simultaneously reinforces the spectacular beauty of the earth's natural landscapes while reminding us how profoundly it has been shaped by human and animal activity.