Walking Under Water

In the deep blue waters off the coast of Borneo, Badjoans Alexan and Sari live their lives like fish. The course of the sea determines the native’s everyday life. Alexan teaches his ten-year-old nephew how to deep-sea dive with a compressor – a highly dangerous method used only by the Badjoans – and how to hunt with a harpoon. Although Sari appreciates this adventure, and Alexan’s ‘at-one-with-nature’ life, the youth knows that his future lies working in the nearby tourist resort. With its spectacular underwater footage, WALKING UNDER WATER takes us on a fascinating journey into the world of the ocean, and documents the extraordinary and endangered way of life led by the natives of Borneo. Images of this tourist paradise and its current shipping traffic illustrate the stark contrast between modern civilisation and the Badjao culture.