The Dommel has been given a place in an illustrious list of the Nile, the Mississippi, the Oder and the Kenai Rivers. An American film crew made the documentary ‘Portrait of a River’ starring the Dommel and the Van Gogh National Park.
US director Graham Steele is impressed by how the region is dealing with the challenges of climate change, water quality, and economic growth. He talks about the ‘beauty of the Dommel’, just as painter Vincent van Gogh did when he walked along the river in the region.
The film crew spent two weeks on the banks of the Dommel. The documentary features interviews with people intensively involved with the river daily with one common challenge: strengthening the natural quality of the system of streams in an economically booming region.
Balance
Lianne van Genugten owns Vaderland, a farm and restaurant on the Dommel River. She plays an important role in the documentary. She shows how farmers and nature can work together.
‘Together with Waterschap De Dommel, we create a “wetland” here. This wetland contributes to balancing nature and biodiversity in this place. And balancing nature helps tremendously in balancing people. Something that seems to be needed more than ever.’
International attention
Erik de Ridder, water grave at De Dommel Water Board, is pleased with the international attention to the Dommel. ‘It is important that people realise how vulnerable our water system is. The Dommel flows through the most innovative square kilometres of the world.
According to De Ridder, the various parties must work together to ‘fulfil all economic ambitions as well as the ambitions of the water board, to restore nature and biodiversity. ‘This is portrayed very impressively in this portrait of the Dommel,’ explains the water governor.
Premiere
The premiere of the short documentary ‘Portrait of a River’ can be watched live online on 7 May. Studio040 previously made a report on the making of the documentary.
Source: Studio040
For Eindhoven news: Shanthi Ramani
