Over 300 million people had their lives uprooted by the floods in Pakistan in 2022. I saw first-hand the inundated fields and destroyed homes with a team from the Indus River Valley Institute. We offered assistance to encampments where survivors were temporarily sheltered.
But the film When the Floods Come graphically shows what only survivors can — their first-person stories of the raging waters. I still feel the impact of watching the film. The faces and voices of survivors echo deeply within me. The tonal quality of the voice of the film’s creator Nyal Mueenuddin as he guides us down the Indus River. His compassionate and penetrating words – spoken from his heart – lovingly express the ‘beauty and strength of our shared humanity.’ I am imprinted with the tragedy not just of the Pakistani peoples directly affected by the torrential 2022 monsoon but with the tragedy of the historic Indus River overrunning its banks. A tragedy brought on by the oblivious actions of rich nations.
Mueenuddin leaves us with a message of hope. He reminds us that the experiences of our ‘shared humanity’ – love, our struggles, losses and memories – can also unite us in a dream of a better future for the planet.