Minding Sand

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 on 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.