Venice Critics' Week Debuts Clip from Sand Mining Drama
The first clip from Shalini Adnani's debut feature 'Our Share of Sand' has been released ahead of its world premiere in Venice Critics' Week. The film follows a 12-year-old girl who returns to India and becomes entangled in her father's sand mining business, uncovering exploitation and family complicity. The clip shows a tense conversation between the girl and her father about what truly connects their family.
Adnani's background bridges several film cultures: born in Chile to Indian parents, based in London, and trained at the London Film School and Berlinale Talents. Her prior short, *White Ant*, earned a Sundance premiere and a Raindance award before being acquired by Canal+. The feature is a UK-Greek co-production developed with Film4 and the BFI, shot on location in India.
The production team includes Sara Bonakdar of Fifth Mirror Pictures alongside producers from Heretic and Suitable Pictures, the latter known for *Santosh* and *Sister Midnight*. Global Constellation handles international sales. The film's title references India's river sand extraction crisis, which accelerates erosion and worsens flooding—a context Adnani describes as treating sand as currency.
The film could raise awareness of environmental degradation tied to sand mining, a crisis largely invisible to global audiences. By framing it through a child's moral awakening, it may prompt viewers to consider how economic dependence enables exploitation within families and communities. Its Venice platform could amplify conversations about resource extraction's human cost, potentially influencing how international audiences perceive environmental accountability in developing economies.