The Dragonfly and the Beast

Aim

A feature documentary that follows Emmeline as she fights to change the story of rivers in the UK, so long depleted by the system.

C A N   O N E   Y O U N G   W O M A N   C H A N G E   T H E   S T O R Y ?

In 2022 Emmeline resolved to understand and challenge the water systems in the UK that are fundamentally broken, to advocate for nature and, perhaps most importantly, to repay a debt to the river that saved her from a turbulent childhood.

So she begins a pilgrimage to make sense of it all, to start to build a movement and to steady her heart for the fight ahead.

W H E R E   D I D   I T   A L L   G O   W R O N G ? 

Although late to formal education due to being a child carer, Emmeline has a Masters in Marine Biology and takes a scientific approach to isolating the problem - digging through the research, identifying connections, asking questions. She regularly returns to the river for guidance, as she has throughout her life. 

While the world around her catches up with the shocking truth about the negative system the water companies, regulators and conservation projects are stuck in, she decides to go back to the beginning of the story......to the words in law that define a river as an object rather than a living being. 

T H E   P I L G R I M A G E   

1000 miles over 100 days. A parliamentary petition. A charity in development. 

And a chance to process some of the backstory that has got her to this point... 

Resources are limited, but Emmeline’s resolve and clarity of vision are strong. She just needs to keep putting one foot in front of the other...

T O N E   +   S T Y L E

Authentic and raw, we are with Emmeline every step of the way through the highs and lows of her journey and as she engages with the rights of nature movement and works out where to put her very special energy.

The key thread to the narrative will be Emmeline’s thoughts, questions & feelings, captured in vlogs, narration from her journal and reflections on what the river truly means to her past and present. Combining these with expert interviews and stunning natural cinematography and sound design, the audience will be taken to the very essence of why Emmeline is doing this - to advocate for the source of all life. 

T A R G E T    A U D I E N C E  

This film is for all those who believe in the rights of nature, and who want to change their own stories using the hope and optimism they have within to create ripples of positive impact.

W H A T   I S   N E X T   

We already have footage of Emmeline's pilgrimage, a significant number of interviews, plus over 300 vlogs to start to create the narrative. 

Further filming is needed for the nature sequences and soundscapes and to document the “end” of the story. With our other financing in place by the end of this year, we will start post-production and aim to bring the film to audiences in 2027, along with a Rights of Nature education programme to engage audiences in the change they can contribute to alongside Emmeline's Voices of Water Foundation.

Your support will help the team maintain momentum and demonstrate that there is appetite for this story so we can engage with other sources of finance and funding

T H E   T E A M   

EMMELINE - Protagonist + Co-director   

Emmeline’s experiences in nature became a large part of her education, especially amidst a rather unconventional upbringing. But with an inquisitive mind, deeply rooted earthen connection & stubborn optimism she was able to achieve a first-class BSc (hons) in Applied Zoology & a Research Master’s (MRes) in Marine Biology.

However, amidst the end of her master’s in 2021 a reflective moment by the river directed Em into a different realm, with which she decided to combine her scientific & ecological knowledge with storytelling, investigative research & activism. What followed was years of research into Rights of Nature (RoN) and River issues, Environmentally and systemically, leading Emmeline to found RoN and community Guardianship based group - Voices of Water Foundation (VoW).

In 2025 Emmeline became a leading name in the UK Rights of Nature movement being the first to successfully launch a national parliament petition calling the UK Government to grant Rivers & Drowned River Valleys (Ria’s) Legal Personhood (legal recognition) in England. Coincidingly, she embarked on a 100-day, 1000+ mile pilgrimage, setting off from the Helford River, Cornwall, following many Rivers, wells, and sacred land paths to Wales, and then, back to and across England alongside the River Thames. Sharing the mission online as she journeyed, Emmeline grew a wonderful supportive online community, her quest featuring on local radio, ITV news, in museums, art galleries, podcasts and blogs.

The results of the parliamentary petition, although close, sadly did not warrant enough signatures required for a response from the government. However, it did succeed in building awareness and gathering momentum, growing Em’s connections and support in the RoN world, specifically within the UK River and Nature Rights Networks and with leading RoN lawyers/barristers. Moreover, the journey was a key part in sparking Emmeline's idea to develop a new ‘flowscape’ based RoN approach, specific to the Helford Riverscape that she loves and lives within.

Coincidingly, her ongoing love for film and storytelling, and belief in the power of creativity and artistic expression to bring about meaningful change, led her to begin working with local filmmakers and production companies, as a director and writer, for some exciting and upcoming documentaries.

This unfolding & evolving story of Nature’s ‘life lessons’ coincidingly set in stone her soon to be limited company for Mother Earth storytelling in all forms, from film to literature, poetry to art – Root and River Creative.

Alongside continuing to develop her own RoN research, and Guardianship practice and projects for the Helford Riverscape, Emmeline continues to provide/take part in local and national talks, workshops, festivals, ecological surveys, Nature restoration, creative film and storytelling events based on RoN, as-well as River, Woodland, and Ocean activism. Outside of science, activism, restoration, film and writing, Emmeline is also a qualified contemporary dancer, artist, self-taught singer/song writer and musician. 

LUCY JANE - Co-director  

Lucy Jane is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and co-founder of the UK-based filmmaking collective The Right To Roam. Working alongside filmmaker Joya Berrow, she creates environmentally focused films that explore the relationship between people, place, and the natural world. Their work has been featured by organisations and platforms including National Geographic, The Guardian, VICE, and Nowness. Through powerful visual and immersive storytelling, Lucy champions underrepresented voices and stories that inspire connection, environmental awareness, and social change, developing impact campaigns that help turn powerful stories into meaningful real-world outcomes and lasting change.

Now forging her own independent path in the filmmaking world, Lucy continues to create bold, purpose-driven work that amplifies underrepresented voices and inspires action.

LAURA GILES - Producer 

Laura has worked for the British Film Institute, as a freelancer for Raising Films and the British Film Commission, as well as produced several shorts and award-winning feature documentary SONS OF CUBA. 

After moving to Cornwall at the beginning of 2014, Laura worked as Associate Producer on Emily Morgan and Claire Oakley's iFeatures feature MAKE UP and Moir Hussain's NAPTHA. Her BFI NETWORK funded short DOG YEARS was made in 2020 and her debut narrative feature as producer, THE TAPE, was released in 2021.

After making youth-focused digital series THE AUDACIOUS for the BBC in 2022 and then took a pause with Storm Force Films to focus on a full-time role at Screen Cornwall, as well as a growing family.

She has recently gone back into her own producing, now working on Immersive Arts project FORGET ME NOT and feature documentary THE DRAGONFLY AND THE BEAST.

JON CLAY - Executive Producer  

Jonathan Clay has over 25 years of experience in the natural history, environmental and social documentary filmmaking sector and has made award-winning films for international audiences across many broadcasters and platforms.

In 2021 his Netflix feature documentary Breaking Boundaries: the Science of Our Planet garnered high praise from climate campaigners including John Kerry, Leonardo DiCaprio and Christiana Figueres; it also won him the Best Writing award at the prestigious Jackson Wild Film Festival. He was awarded Best Director by BAFTA Cymru in 2005 for his work on the BBC series Tribe; five years later his film South Pacific: Fragile Paradise was awarded Best of Festival at IWFF. Other producer/director credits for the BBC include The Earthshot Prize with HRH Prince William, Wonders of the Monsoon, Lonesome George: the Battle for Galapagos and Flooded Britain. In 2023 he was Co-Director and Executive Producer of the Nature inFocus feature film Project Tiger.

Jonathan has also worked as a DoP on a number of high-profile  documentaries including the BBC/Discovery series Human Planet and was part of the Emmy award-winning cinematography team on Blue Planet II. In 2021 he produced David Attenborough’s speech to world leaders at COP26 in Glasgow. He then founded See Through Stories where he is focused on developing and crafting films that have the power to shift deep cultural narratives towards more equitable and regenerative futures. 

Other contributors

With special thanks to Soup Audiovisual - Adam Radage and Dan McKay - for their work so far and their contributions to the crowdfunder film, as well as all those who helped Emmeline make her short film Veins of the Earth on the way to this feature.

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 20th October 2026 at 11:29am