Rave On For The Avon

A feature-length documentary film of a local community’s fight to save their bathing spot.

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. 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.

Each screening will be followed by a Q&A session.

Q&A session at Redruth on 26th February will feature:

Charlotte Sawyer | Director
Jay Elvy-Holmes | Westcountry Rivers Trust | Natural Capital Advisor in 2022. Jay started working as Natural Capital Advisor after completing her studies at Cardiff University in Environmental Geoscience. Her role involves supporting the team with impact project monitoring; including water quality testing, soil sampling and mapping.
Katie Maggs | @tonicofthesea | Katie is an experienced snorkel instructor, sea swimmer, and an ambassador for SwimSecure aiding safe outdoor swimming. She is based in Penzance and she learnt the basics of sea swimming and snorkelling as a child in local Cornish coves and later developed a passion for the conservation of marine life and subsequent interest in marine wildlife photography. She also works as a marine mammal medic for the BDMLR (British Divers Marine Life Rescue) – carrying out seal, dolphin, porpoise and whale rescues.