Rave On For The Avon & Director Q&A

About Us

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.

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

Charlotte Sawyer | Director
Rowan Clarke | Outdoor Swimmer Magazine | Rowan Clarke is an outdoor swimming expert, journalist for Outdoor Swimmer Magazine and year-around swimmer. She coached open-water swimming at Clevedon Marine Lake for six years and was Chair of Trustees for Marlens, the charity that looks after the lake. Rowan is a passionate advocate for cold water for better health and wellbeing, and her mission is to protect and improve access to blue spaces for all. Rave on for the Avon has meant that she's also been called 'the cheesecake lady' and she is totally fine with that.
Michelle Walker | Rivers Trust | Michelle Walker is a Technical Director @ Rivers Trust. Michelle works with the Technical Team of data scientists and analysts to provide innovative ways of using data and evidence to help understand river environments and deliver river improvements. In particular, she leads The Rivers Trust's Citizen Science projects, empowering communities to collect and use environmental data to protect their local waterways. Michelle also drives Rivers Trust's work on sewage pollution, using data-driven insights to highlight issues and push for solutions.
Jo Bateman | Jo Bateman is an Exmouth activist and a keen sea swimmer who has taken legal action against South West Water (SWW) for dumping sewage into the sea near her home. She is also the lead of "Jo in The Water", a feature documentary in the making that highlights the terrible reality of sewage and pollution in our lakes, rivers and seas. The film is being made by a team of award-winning indie filmmakers in partnership with Surfers Against Sewage and River Action UK.