Independent Lens Season 9 Episode 13 How Is Your Fish Today?

In the Independent Lens season 9 episode 13 titled "How Is Your Fish Today?", viewers are taken on a journey to explore the world of fishing in China. The episode follows the struggles of a fictional character, Lao Shi, who is a passionate and talented chef known for his fish recipes. The story unfolds in Guangzhou, a seafood-rich city in southern China.

The journey begins with Lao Shi trying to source the freshest and highest-quality fish for his restaurant in the local market. However, he soon realizes that finding quality fish is becoming increasingly difficult due to the overfishing and pollution of China's waterways. Lao Shi's frustration leads him to embark on a personal mission to catch his own fish in pristine waters in the remote countryside. He takes a three-day journey with his friend, a local fishing master, to a remote lake where fish have been known to be particularly large.

Lao Shi's journey takes viewers through some of the most beautiful and pristine landscapes of China. The fishing master teaches Lao Shi the secret techniques of catching fish and shares his extensive knowledge of Chinese fishing traditions. Along the way, viewers see the intricacies of traditional Chinese fishing, including the use of bird signals to locate fish and using a reel instead of a fishing rod.

The episode highlights the Chinese fishing culture and tradition, as well as the challenges faced by local fishermen in the modern era. The fishermen are seen dealing with a myriad of issues, including environmental pollution, which has rendered the water bodies largely inhabitable by fish. The fishermen also increasingly need to adapt to modern, high-tech fishing techniques, which create competition and challenges for traditional fishing practices.

Through Lao Shi's journey, viewers also encounter the rich culinary culture of China, as Lao Shi cooks the fish he catches in different traditional Chinese recipes. The dishes portray the depth, complexity, and diversity of Chinese cuisine and demonstrate how fish are used to create rich, flavorsome, and visually appealing dishes.

The episode ultimately shows the challenges of balancing tradition and modernity in China and the wider world. Lao Shi's journey is a metaphor for the struggles of traditional cultures and practices in the face of modernization and globalisation. The episode raises questions about what we stand to lose as the world rapidly modernizes, and whether it is possible to preserve and protect cultures, practices, and ecosystems that may not necessarily fit into modern or Westernized notions of what is valuable or desirable.

It is a captivating and thought-provoking journey through the world of fishing, food, culture, and tradition in China that will leave viewers with a new appreciation of how intertwined these aspects of life can be. The episode is a must-watch for anyone interested in Chinese culture, food, or traditional practices.