Het Puntje x Movies that Matter: I Am the River, the River Is Me

• Date: 02 August
• Time: 20:00 - 22:00
• Location: Het Puntje

This summer, together with beach club Het Puntje, we are organizing a film festival at the very tip of Scheveningen! Three evenings with three films that invite reflection, conversation and connection.

On Saturday, August 2, the documentary I Am the River, the River is Me (2024) will be shown. The Whanganui River in New Zealand has recently acquired the same rights as a person. This film explores the spiritual, legal and cultural impact of this unique decision, and what it means to live in communion with nature.

About the film

The Whanganui River in Aotearoa/New Zealand is the first river in the world to be recognized by law as a legal entity, and as a living and indivisible being. The Māori have fought for this for more than one hundred and fifty years. Māori river herder Ned Tapa takes a group of friends, family members and activists on a five-day canoe trip down this sacred river. With them are a First Nations Elder from Australia and his daughter; as activists, they are committed to saving their own dying river home. Also in the boat: an Australian artist and an international film crew.

Program

The film will be accompanied by an introduction and aftertalk led by Leana Boven. She is a writer, researcher, curator and programmer at Stroom Den Haag, where she recently curated the exhibition Beloved Waters. This exhibition is about seeing water as a living being. The art shows that water carries its own stories, memories, tensions and hopes.

Practical information

• Date: Saturday, Aug. 2, 8 p.m.
• Language and subtitles: Dutch
• Admission: €9.79 (excl. service charge)
• Tickets: buy your ticket through Het Puntje
• Location: De Komma (the annex of Het Puntje), Strand Noord 3N, 2586 ZZ The Hague. See here how to get to the location. Feel like having something to eat before the movie at Het Puntje? Then come on time, preferably an hour in advance or earlier, so you can enjoy the film in peace and everything will be ready in time.

This screening is made possible by Fonds 1818.

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