Cutting the Crap: Short selected for film festival screening

The scale of sewage pollution in the UK has made headlines over the last two years, largely thanks to the efforts of ordinary people campaigning for change.

Amongst these grassroots activists are a group of sea swimmers from Kent. SOS Whitstable was formed after a group of friends started swimming during the pandemic and realised their hobby was frequently being interrupted by discharges of untreated sewage from the nearby Swalecliffe sewage plant.

It sparked an extraordinary campaign to challenge the local water company and the government over failures to prevent the practice.

Cutting the Crap tells the story of Ed Acteson and his friends - how their love of the sea has inspired them to fight for national change in regulation and management of sewage.

The film was published by Hakai Magazine over the summer and I am delighted that it's been selected to be screened at Kendal Mountain Festival in November.