Turtle Walker film on sea turtle conservation debuts in India at IDSFFK

The documentary Turtle Walker will have its Indian premiere at the 17th International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala on August 23. The film is a collaboration between Tiger Baby and Emaho Films, with support from the Oscar-winning HHMI Tangled Bank Studios.

Award-winning sea turtle documentary Turtle Walker comes to Kerala festival

The film, directed and written by Taira Malaney, follows the real-life journey of Satish Bhaskar. In the late 1970s, he began travelling across India’s shores to study sea turtles and find ways to protect them. He recorded where they nested and learned about the dangers they faced.

Satish’s connection to the ocean started in Kerala, on Vypin Island in Kochi, where he grew up and the sea shaped his life. As a child, he watched giant leatherback turtles crawl onto the sand to lay their eggs, a sight that left a mark on him. That connection stayed with him. Years later, it became the driving force behind his conservation work.

The film’s premiere in Kerala holds special meaning for the team. IDSFFK has built a reputation for giving space to films that focus on social and environmental issues. For Taira and her collaborators, it is the right audience for a story that blends history, science, and personal commitment. Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti are among the film’s producers, along with Angad Dev Singh, Vikram Malaney, and Taira herself. The executive producers include Isabelle Couture, James Reed, Jared Lipworth, Sean B. Carroll, and Nikita Mamik.

Turtle Walker has already been recognised at international festivals, but its Indian premiere adds a new chapter. It is not only about the journey of one man; it also reflects a time when parts of India’s coastline were home to species that are now rarely seen. The film quietly points to what has changed, and what still needs protection.

The film is not just about sea turtles. It also shows the effort behind the work, the travel to far-off beaches, the patience it takes to study a species, and the choices made to keep the project going. It is a quiet look at what it means to stay committed to a cause.

For more updates, join/follow our WhatsApp, Telegram and YouTube channels.