Minding Sand

Abstract

As a seemingly cheap, abundant and easy to extract resource, sand is a key ingredient in many construction materials, most notably concrete. Minding Sand follows the sand mining industry along the beaches of Sierra Leone and the struggles associated with managing resource extraction. How do miners navigate a city’s demand for concrete while facing an eroding beach? The film unravels the complex entanglements involved in both the making and unmaking of beaches, reminding us how ecological and social concerns are inextricably interwoven. It shows how miners and fishermen alike are deeply connected to and in constant dialogue with their environment as they strive to protect the future of both the beach and the industry that it provides.

Laura van Erp is a Dutch filmmaker and anthropologist who received her master’s degree in Visual Anthropology from the University of Amsterdam. Her debut film, Minding Sand, explores the sand-mining industry in Sierra Leone and won Best Student Film at the International Festival of Ethnological Film in Belgrade. Her interests lie in how ecological and social concerns are often two sides of the same coin. In her work, she aims to highlight the complexities of living in the Anthropocene through visual storytelling.