The Awa/River Story Inspiring Connection & Action
Impact storytellers and EHF Fellows Corinne van Egeraat and Petr Lom are stirring conversations and urging action through their latest film ‘Ko au te Awa, ko te Awa ko au – I Am The River, The River Is Me’. The film, which opened the Doc Edge Festival on 19 June, invites viewers to consider their relationship to the natural world as they follow Māori tribal leader Ned Tapa on a canoe voyage with friends and family down the Whanganui River.
Created with tangata whenua, the documentary explores the significance of the Whanganui River - Te Awa Tupua being granted legal personhood, providing environmental protection and legal recognition of the Māori worldview that the awa (river) is a living being. Through the voices of First Nations Elder Brendan Kennedy from Australia and his daughter Melissa - activists visiting the River, the film also explores the impacts of colonisation on aboriginal people and the environment, providing parallels with the stories of Ned Tapa, his friends, whānau and ancestors.
As the film receives international praise and is resonating with communities in Aotearoa and overseas, Corinne and Petr are undertaking an impact campaign that urges action to recognise the rights of nature and the importance of indigenous knowledge.
Petr recalls the exact moment in 2017 that sparked the idea of creating the documentary. “Corinne was reading a news article about the Whanganui River as the first river in the world to be granted personhood. She turned to me and said ‘This makes so much sense, I would love to make a documentary about this.’ That was the starting point. I think the river was calling.”
What followed was a period of extensive research, meetings with film funders and several visits to Aotearoa where Corinne and Petr travelled to Whanganui and met with kaitiaki (guardians) of the awa, including Ned Tapa. The film is the result of a four-year collaboration with the Māori community in Whanganui, which began with a short film.
“While we were filming the short film together, the idea to make a longer film came up,” says Corinne. “We were wrapping up the short film and feeling sad about leaving this beautiful place and also knowing there was much more to the story. Ned invited us to come back and do a longer film, so that’s exactly what we did.” The group voyage with Brendan and Melissa and visiting artist Justine Muller in 2023 provided the ideal opportunity to film and curate a more indepth story about the river and those who protect it.
Māori Community Leader Ned Tapa and his relationship with the awa is a focal point of the film, as a central character and narrator. Ned shares his personal story, from experiencing racism in the 70s to his relationship with his grandson, as well as the long journey - started by his tupuna (ancestors) in the 1800s - for the Government to acknowledge iwi rights and to recognise the awa as an indivisible and living whole - their ancestor.
A Whanganui River Guardian, Ned Tapa. Kanui Tapa, Ned’s Grandson and a Māori Community Activist
Left to Right: Stewart (Stu) Reweti, who appears in the film with Ned Tapa (middle), at the pre-screening event in Auckland with Tamahau Rowe.
Tamahau Rowe is a descendant of the Whanganui River and Taranaki Maunga. He likens the river to that of a ‘pepe’ (baby) that everyone needs to care for, asserting that: “Personhood is a collective responsibility.”
Corinne and Petr, who also appear in the film, note the profound impact the river voyage and making the film has had on them, as well as the immense sense of responsibility they felt to ‘get it right’. “We were so nervous,” says Corrine, reflecting on the two private screenings for whānau in Whanganui, which included kaumatua and kuia (Māori Elders) as well as tamariki (children). Ned says whānau gave the film ‘a thumbs up’, a positive response which allayed Corinne and Petr’s nerves, but has motivated them further to ensure the film supports Māori aspirations for the awa.
Screening for Whanganui whānau; Corrine van Egeerat (Producer) and Petr Lom (Director) with the Whanganui River
This spirit of partnership and friendship has been central to how Corinne and Petr have made the film, which acknowledges the Whanganui River as a co-producer. Ned and Puoro Jerome, the composer for the film, have been deeply involved through all stages of the production as cultural advisors, ensuring kawa and tikanga were observed and upheld. This approach of working with great respect and carefully listening, carries through to the impact campaign being planned. Corinne notes that first and foremost, the impact has to be Māori-led and stem from the Whanganui community, which has already identified the desire to share the film through ‘grassroots’ community screenings on marae (meeting houses), and also in prisons and nursing homes.
Film sound recordist Tahuaora Ohia with Puoro Jerome, the composer for the film
Ned says when he started filming he didn’t know where it would go, but loved doing it and found going to the Netherlands for the world premiere at the Hague ‘a whole other journey’. His hopes for the film’s impact is that it will not only make Aotearoa NZ’s rivers better, but also other rivers around the world: Iti nei iti nei ka taea (small consistent steps amounts to success).
Corinne agrees. “I hope this can be a catalyst. We are hungry for people to learn through this film - from the indigenous knowledge and wisdom, and from the leadership and vision to recognise the Whanganui River as a person.”
Corinne points out the degree to which the rights of nature is resonating around the world, including in their home of the Netherlands where the film achieved Kristallen Film status for attracting 10 000 visitors in Dutch cinemas, in just two weeks after the release.
Corinne at one of the sold-out screenings in the Netherlands
As rights of nature is the fastest growing legal movement in the world, Corinne and Petr are collaborating with one of the world’s leading impact production companies, THINK-FILM to maximise the impact of the film and get cut-through at a policy level. A key focus for the impact campaign is to influence high-level EU and international policymakers on how nature personhood can be recognised within European legal frameworks. Their hope is that Aotearoa NZ’s actions - recognising ecosystems have rights just as human beings do - will inspire global leadership and shape a worldview that values all life on our planet as deeply interconnected.
With that in mind, Corinne and Petr believe education is also a core part of the impact campaign and are exploring how the film could be a learning resource for schools, communities and work environments. Tamahau, who works in education, agrees that stories like this film are what ‘lift us out of the noise’ and are a powerful tool to talk with children about what is important and the difference they can make.
Advocates for how storytelling can change lives, shift perceptions and inspire action, EHF Fellows and Doc Edge Co-Founders Alex Lee and Dan Shanan highlight how fortunate New Zealand is to have world-renowned filmmakers Corinne and Petr as Edmund Hillary Fellows. Alex says: “Corinne and Petr are bringing their talent and expertise and creating opportunities for local film crew and filmmakers, as well as sharing stories from Aotearoa that will create global impact.”
Corinne and Petr believe the film represents a strong message of unity and togetherness. “To tackle climate change and the many environmental crises around the world, we need a change in values and a transformation in our relationship with nature. This is what Ned teaches us in the film, to think about our role as intergenerational guardians rather than extractive/short-term ownership. And that’s what we all need to do - to take collective responsibility together, because ultimately, we’re all in the same waka (canoe) together.”
Watch the Film
View the film as part of Doc Edge’s Virtual Cinema from 15 - 31 July
Learn more
Visit the I am the River website to find out more about the film, and to sign up for the newsletter.
Support the campaign
If you would like to support the impact campaign you can contact Corinne at corinne@zindoc.nl
