The Urak Lawoi of Koh Lipe, Thailand, have built their lives around the Andaman Sea for generations. Fishing, diving, navigation, language, belief, and family knowledge all depend on a close relationship with the water. Today, that way of life is changing as mass tourism reshapes the island, marine pollution reaches its shores, and warming seas affect the environment they know so well.
Through Kiang, his father Suoi, and his son Man-U, the film reveals how Urak Lawoi traditions are passed across three generations, from fishing and Bubu diving to ceremonies and cultural teaching. Their story is also one of adaptation: tourism provides essential income, even as it complicates the survival of their identity and transforms Koh Lipe.
Documentary: Urak Lawoi - Brothers Of The Sea
Director: Telmo Iragorri & Manuel Coronado
Production: Reafilma S.L. & El Canonazo Multimedia S.L.U. (2022)
#uraklawoi #kohlipe #thailand #andamansea #masstourism #traditionalfishing #marinelife #culturalheritage #oceanpollution #seaculture