Do humans have the right to nature? In this tender film, Director Charlotte Sawyer tells a story of a community of wild swimmers in Bristol (UK) affected by raw sewage pollution of the river Avon. England is one of the only two countries in the world to have a fully privatised water and sewage disposal system, and with only 14% of English rivers in good ecological health, the mission to keep the rivers clean is not going well. The Bristol Council prohibits swimming in the river, and it’s often filled with dangerous levels of raw sewage, chemical pollution and farm run-off. This leaves everyone with a dilemma; for all the benefits the river gives them, it could potentially cause them even greater harm. In a series of moving, exciting and thought-provoking scenes, the swimmers create a stunning, light-hearted yet fascinating tapestry, probing how activism starts from the grassroots, and carries a profound universal lesson for all of us. There’s a marriage to the river, drum’n’bass, a mermaid who tows an inflatable turd, and a whole lot of cheesecake in this poignant reflection on people’s innovative battles for the natural world they cherish. Audience Award – Wales One World Film Festival 2025. Finalist – London Director Awards 2025. Sustainability Merit – Wildscreen 2024.
Honorable Mention – Big Syn International Film Festival 2024. Semi-Finalist - Folkestone Fest 2024. Official Selections 2025: FIPADOC, Étonnants Voyageurs Festival, FIFAV. Official Selection 2024: Serbest IFF. Official Selection 2023: Kendal Mountain Festival.