RIVER

By looking at the profound impact river systems have had in shaping human history, this film seeks to shift perceptions around the urgent threats which have been mounting towards the world’s great rivers in the last century: reckless pollution, irresponsible water wastage, and damming driven by corporate political greed.

The vision for River is to increase awareness around the mounting threats to river systems, inspiring individuals around the world to pursue local political action to protect our rivers from pollution and mismanagement.

We would like to see River used as an impact resource to start conversations about the rivers that are dying in this country, and the vulnerable communities they sustain. In our own backyard, the crisis of mismanagement surrounding the Murray-Darling Basin continues unabated. We believe it is not too late to challenge the greed-driven upstream thinking which leads to such devastating downstream consequences.

River is a reminder that it is never too late to ask ourselves: ‘are we being good ancestors?

As well a being a sequel to our much lauded film MOUNTAIN, RIVER is a both a stand alone vision and commentary by director Jennifer Peedom. The subject matter is meticulously researched from highly respected sources and forms a narrative that is both poetic as well as informative. There are no specific links or partnerships to other organisations as the issues raised in the film are varied and far-reaching. It is also important the film’s voice is not compromised by too many outside voices or competing interests.

We hope that RIVER will stimulate conversations in the media, by the water-cooler and, by extension, across social media. We would like these conversations about the threats to our rivers, our water supply, pollution and climate change to inspire action. We want these conversations to be heard by governments and corporations alike but they will only be truly heard by affirmative action at a local level. We hope to give a voice to the current international surge of young Climate Action Strikers, the generation who will be most affected by inaction on climate change.

Our indicator for success will be achieving the same level of international reach as MOUNTAIN has: on the big screen, small screen, concert hall and IMAX theatres/museums. Beyond this, we would hope to see RIVER used as an international resource in schools for geography and earth sciences curricula - an example to the next generation of how powerful storytelling can directly impact the future of our fragile ecosystems. We shall know this through a combination of sold-out tours, box-office receipts, distribution reach, industry awards, festival screenings and accolades. Media coverage is an essential indicator both in the form of positive film reviews but also editorial comment with the media referencing the film in a social context. Social Media engagement is also a key platform for us with the film aspiring to start a public conversation. We are still seeing significant social media engagement for MOUNTAIN, some years after its release.