Full-length documentary

I Am The River, The River Is Me

(I Am The River, The River Is Me)

The Whanganui is New Zealand’s longest river. In 2017, it gained another first, when the parliament gave it the status of a legal person with rights and responsibilities. Anyone who harms it, e.g. by polluting it, faces serious penalties. The local Māori iwi, who see the river as one of their ancestors, have been striving for this law to be passed for over 170 years.

This documentary also pays homage to the sacred waterway. Māori guide Ned Tapa takes us on a 5-day cruise on the almost 300 km long river. During a peaceful trip through the picturesque landscape, we learn about the local ecosystem and Māori culture, but we also delve into traumatic colonial history. The ethnographic film, whose director Petr Lom is of Czech origin, non-violently challenges us to treat the planet as we do our fellow human beings.

Nature Spirituality

Basic information about the film

Title	I Am The River, The River Is Me
Original Title	I Am The River, The River Is Me
Original Language	English, Maori
Subtitles	Czech, English
Premiéra	Czech premiere
Film type	Full-length documentary
Year of Production	2024
Country of Origin	Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway
Length	89 min.
Tags	Nature, Spirituality
Director	Petr Lom

All screenings

03/13 18:30	Světozor Cinema – Small Hall Vodičkova 41, Praha 1		Discussion Petr Lom, director Corinne van Egeraat, producer	tickets
03/16 18:00	Bio Oko Františka Křížka 15, Praha 7		Discussion Petr Lom, director Corinne van Egeraat, producer	tickets

Ecosystems

A person is lying on the ground in the forest, surrounded by fallen leaves and trees.

Full-length documentary

Compost Me

A Belgian activist group seeks to legalise the composting of human bodies as an ecological alternative to burial, a method not yet legal in Belgium or any other EU country.

Full-length documentary

Life and Other Problems

Marius, a 2-year-old giraffe, was euthanised as his gene pool was surplus to further breeding needs. Not even protests, petitions or generous offers from Hollywood celebrities or other zoos could save him. The zoo management thought selling him would be immoral.

Two children are sitting in the dark, holding glowing objects that illuminate their faces.

Full-length documentary

Rising up at Night

Part of DR Congo’s capital is in darkness. A lengthy power outage only augments problems in Kinshasa, a city of 17 million – local river flooding, poor infrastructure, and violence. Darkness shrouds the streets and prospects for the future.

A person in camouflage clothing is holding a rifle in a natural setting. In the background, there is another person and trees.

Full-length documentary

The Battle For Laikipia

As natural resources dwindle, the struggle for life begins. The worst drought in 40 years has reignited a long-dormant conflict between indigenous people and the descendants of British colonialists in northern Kenya.

Two women are standing outside with a factory and smoking chimneys in the background. One of them is holding a cigarette and the other a book.

Full-length documentary

The Sky Above Zenica

The story of a town that, because of its determined citizens, now symbolises the fight against industrial pollution in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Unregulated mining, industrially polluted rivers, destroyed habitats and large deforested areas threaten human health and the ecosystem balance.

Two men are shaking hands against the backdrop of a burning fire. One man is wearing a cowboy hat, while the other is wearing a safety helmet.

Full-length documentary

The White House Effect

Since the 1970s, we’ve slowly been admitting that climate change is perhaps the main challenge humanity faces. The title of the critical documentary The White House Effect paraphrases the term “greenhouse effect” used in the late 1980s by US Vice President George H. W. Bush during his presidential campaign.

A person in blue clothing and a hat is sitting next to an animal in front of a stone wall.

Feature film

The Wolves Always Come at Night

Daava and his wife Zaya watch over herds of horses, sheep and goats roaming the rugged central Mongolian steppes. Herding is their livelihood source, but the increasingly extreme weather complicates survival in the harsh region.

Two people are standing outside on a grassy plain and taking photographs with cameras.

Full-length documentary

Wings of Dust

Vidal, 40, a journalist from southeastern Peru, once worked in a mine. He tries to tell the local community (and the rest of the world) how aggressive mining impacts the landscape. He puts his life at risk, and it won’t be long before politicians and multinational companies lose patience. Protect one’s own family or nature? This is the dilemma Vidal inevitably faces.