Supported by

Visual stories for river conservation

Blikonderwater Productions and Lutra Films have joined forces as a passionate team of wildlife filmmakers. With the power of visual storytelling, they reveal the hidden world below the waterline of European rivers. At the same time, they map the growing threats to biodiversity to promote positive change.

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Why

Freshwater ecosystems in Europe are under extreme pressure; since the 1970s, 93% of migrating river fish have been lost. If the human impact on rivers doesn't change, a wilderness that took millions of years to evolve will disappear before we really get to know it. The creators exist to bring this invisible universe to light and mobilize people to stop the decline.

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Impact

Mission & goals

The organization supports nature conservation through communication, film, and photography. Their main goals are:

  • Raise awareness: Informing the public about the complexity and beauty of life below the waterline.
  • Support river restoration: Assisting local and international NGOs working to restore river ecosystems and achieve EU goals.
  • Show threats and successes: Not only warning about dangers but also sharing success stories like dam removals to inspire action.
  • Seek collaboration: Increasing impact by closely working with scientists, conservationists, media, and educational institutions.
Actions
  • Sharing visuals: Images and footage from expeditions are shared for free or strategically with NGOs for their campaigns.
  • Media integration: Producing documentaries, exhibitions, books, and scientific publications to reach a million-strong audience.
  • Visual documentation: Capturing large-scale projects, such as dam demolitions and mapping rare fish species.
  • Targeted ad-hoc projects: Taking immediate action with video productions when animals or specific underwater landscapes need urgent help or attention.

“Seeing the water from above means seeing our own world reflected. Few realize what lies beneath: a completely different universe, rich in color, complexity, and beauty.”

Arthur de Bruin – co-founder of Blikonderwater Productions and underwater photographer/filmmaker

How your donation helps

Your contribution helps these filmmakers finance new expeditions and bring the ecological crisis below the waterline into view. With your support, they can use high-quality camera equipment, produce documentaries for critical nature projects, and provide educational footage to European conservation organizations.

This gives a voice to the fish and organisms we usually don’t see, and directly helps in the restoration of thousands of kilometers of free-flowing rivers.

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