2023 films
3rd of April in Utrecht, 26th of April in Maastricht
The Erie Situation (2021)
Directedby David Ruck, 72 mins
In 2014,the citizens of Toledo, Ohio, had to go without running water for three days when a bloom of toxic algae entered the drinking water plant from Lake Erie. This should have been a wake-up call for politicians, big agriculture, and citizens everywhere that freshwater resources are at risk of becoming toxic worldwide.
The ErieSituation exploresthe confluence of science, public sentiment, politics, and the powerful farming lobby as Ohio wrestles with how to confront the drivers of toxic algae. What's at stake? Who's at risk? And will volunteer measures be enough to confront this growing crisis, both in Ohio and further afield?
The New Boats (2022)
Directed by Lansana Mansaray(Barmmy Boy), 49 min
The New Boats isan investigative documentary that presents an eye-opening look at the impact of international industrialized fishing in West African waters and its disastrous effect on local communities at a critical point in Sierra Leone's history.
The village of Tombois one of the largest artisanal fishing ports in Sierra Leone - providing nearly 90% of the protein eaten in the country. Tombo had flourished in theFreetown Peninsula since pre-colonial times but in recent decades this prosperity has been on the decline due to an influx of Asian trawlers overfishing
on its shores with clandestine support from corrupt officials.
As a result, local fishermen ofall ages are frequently forced to abandon life in Tombo and migrate in search of work. The women of the village have also lost their traditional livelihood, processing the catch and selling at market. Sulaiman Kamara and other localfishermen are passionately advocating on behalf of Tombo, in a desperate attempt to prevent an environmental disaster with West African fisheries on the brink of collapse.