Film Screening - Rave On For The Avon

About the show

Local swimmers, scientists and a mermaid join forces in a community's battle to fight to protect the River Avon, the Bristol way. 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.

After the screening, there will be a panel discussion about the issues raised led by SENS (Sustainability and Energy Network in Staveley) and tea and biscuits.