• Director(s):

    PARISOT (Claude-Julie)

  • Producer(s):

    ARTE FRANCE

  • Territories:

    Worldwide.

  • Production year:

    2014

  • Language(s):

    German, English, French

  • Rights:

    TV, DVD, NON-THEATRICAL, INTERNET, VOD

Can a river be restored, just like work of art or a castle? This film recounts the fascinating ecological adventure that is gaining ground, worldwide, of giving back a little space to landscaped rivers, and the freedom they so desperately require.

In December 2003, the rapid rise in the level of the Rhône turned to tragedy. The river ruptured its embankments, claiming lives and displacing thousands, amid widespread shock. It had been thought the river was under control, but it was observed that the frantic and anarchic planning of the river - in order to tame it and subjugate it to our economic and energy needs - was partly responsible for the catastrophe.
 
Too many embankments, too many dams, too many roads and railways, too much concrete … squeezing the Rhône, crowding it out and hemming it in. With its landscapes spoilt and its biodiversity impoverished, it is now even becoming a danger for humans. And so the decision has been made to “restore” it.