Rave On For The Avon: The Beating Heart of Bristol’s Waterways
By Charlotte Kyle, Social Media Manager
Rave on for the Avon showcases the unwavering strength of a hodgepodge group of Bristolians in the face of adversity, with a mermaid, a scientist, a group of ravers, and the river’s wife all coming together to flick two fingers up in the face of ‘The Man’. Charlotte Sawyer, independent documentary filmmaker with a rich history of film production for NGOs in some of the world’s least-visited countries, has excelled with this deeply personal documentary that, in her words, “is really all about love”.
Even as a self-confessed wild swimming nerd, I was not expecting a documentary about a river to make me cry. And even less was I expecting it to make me cackle. But it would be all but impossible to have an unemotional reaction to this piece of art, which so delicately showcases the intricacies of the human-nature connection. This documentary has to be one of the best embodiments of Bristol Spirit that I have ever seen on screen - how else to push your clean water campaign to the Mayor but a rave on College Green? Since the opening titles swept in to the sounds of a rolling Bristolian drum and bass track, I was expecting nothing less.
But at the risk of eternal cliché, it really is the people that make this documentary. Sawyer gives the stage to a sassy local legend, the mermaid (also known as Lindsey) who swam the Bristol channel with her ‘giant poo’ to raise awareness of our city’s water pollution issue, as well as the determined local grassroots campaign group, the Conham Bathers.
However, the stand-out character who lingered in my mind for the rest of the afternoon was an older working class Irish man who talked so heartbreakingly candidly about his mental health issues. Frank spoke with stoicism about his struggle to heat his home and his history of depression and PTSD, but instantly lit up at the mention of his year-round swims in the freezing river Avon. Wild swimming could be forgiven for being criticised as an exclusively white, middle-class, often female hobby, but seeing this gruff-looking fatherly figure so rawly emotional about the river's role in his personal wellbeing was one of the most moving things I have seen in a long time.
This passionately personal documentary could have easily slipped into becoming a depressing tale of ecological destruction and lost political battles (we’re looking at you, Marvin Rees) but it's impossible not to leave the cinema feeling inspired. Sawyer’s timely use of wide, birds-eye-view shots over Bristol’s sprawling nature creates space for reflection after the heavier moments, and the overarching feeling is one of deep connection. This becomes understandable upon discovery that Sawyer herself was pushed to join the community group after following them for the documentary. The distinction between filmmaker and subject is clearly long-dissolved, making this film feel like a collaborative showcase of friendship and support.
The film ends with the achingly beautiful scene of Meg’s marriage to the river, a symbol of her commitment to protect “this, and every river, until death do us part”. The priest is choked up, the bride is choked up, and the entire audience finds themselves with stinging eyes. All to the soundtrack of the beautiful ‘We Are the Water’ from Elder Island, a song which could neither be more moving nor more apt. The river becomes inseparable from the human emotions in this documentary. Constant change, constant challenge, and through it all, the Avon still flows.
Rave on for the Avon forces the viewer to reflect on their personal relationship with the natural spaces in their life, to think about what brings them peace and where they find their mental noise quietening. It encourages us to ask the question, what are you doing to protect these spaces?
What you think Bristol should do to protect its green spaces?