Synopsis

It's neither Nile nor Amazon: The Lippe with it?s 220 kilometeres, which flows right though Westphalia in Germany, might not be the greatest of all rivers. But it is surprisingly beautiful and teeming with life. And it has a great history, too: Stone age people roamed her on dugout canoes, the ancient Romans built fortresses on her banks and Charlemagne himself settled at her spring occasionally to reign his Franconian empire. The Prussians transfiguered the winding river into a navigable canal with weir and watergates. But today, long stretches of the river have regained their natural beauty: The old riverbanks, the huge meanders, the little islands have been restored and provide plenty of space and food for countless animals. As a result, many rare species have returned to the Lippe: The beaver, which was extinct here for 200 years, has returned, and the white stork, disappeared for decades, has made an impressive comeback. "On a River in Westphalia" portrays a river that is not very impressive on the first sight. But the film provides a closer look an d finds beauty and wildlife everywhere. It shows the little river in a way even people who live there haven't seen yet. The filmmakers used airborne and high-speed cameras, they filmed underwater and topside in camouflage to tell a story of restoration and renewal of a river's ecosystem.

Crédits

A film by: Ulf Marquardt

Produced by: Ulf Marquardt

Duration: 44 min

Year completed: 2019

Pays:  Allemagne

Catégorie: Professionnel