The Pearl Banks is a contemporary journey exploring the depths of Qatar’s sea waters to seek ‘Hair’, the traditional pearl diving sites.
The Arabian Gulf is internationally famous for diving and trading of natural pearls, with the historical practice forming an integral part of the regions unique cultural heritage. Qatar owns the lion's share of the Gulf's pearl banks, however, after the exploration of oil in the 1930s, the pearl diving industry has all but collapsed. Today, 80 years later, a question arises; what happened to the pearl diving sites named “Hair”? This documentary is a contemporary journey to explore the depths of the Qatari sea and to discover the present state of the “Hair”. Are the famous pearl banks still in existence and are they still preserving the treasures of their illustrious past?