Wild Port of Europe – Nature on the Edge is an artistic and reflective nature documentary that tells the story of two conflicting worlds sharing the same space. On one hand, the wild and untamed natural world, seriously threatened by human expansion. Struggling, in all its beauty. On the other hand, our dominant modern world: man-made, fully industrialized. Driven by a relentless need for space, energy, minerals and commodities.
Wild Port of Europe is about the ultimate contrast, set in the biggest port in Europe – the Port of Rotterdam. A gigantic industrialized area covering more than 12,500 ha of land and waterways, stretching over 40 km inland from the North Sea.
Never before in nature film history has wildlife been filmed so close and intimate in such an overwhelming and alienated habitat! And while the film shows us that survival in such a highly industrialized environment is a life on the edge for wildlife, it also mirrors nature’s challenges back to the human world, for we share a mutual uncertain future due to man-made climate change.
Wild Port of Europe takes you into the unexpected story of these and other animals living in Europe’s largest and busiest port area.
In a landscape where humans are constantly changing everything, amid the steel factories, storage tanks, container ships, giant cranes and sprawling railroad lines, the animals seize their opportunities and often make remarkable choices in the process.
The concept of nature manifesting itself in artificial man-made areas conflicts strongly with our romantic perception of lush nature in remote and unspoiled habitats. But while in our human-dominated world these unspoiled habitats are getting more and more scarce, nature still tries to survive as best it can. And so it sometimes shows up in very unexpected places, such as the most industrialized area of Europe: The Port of Rotterdam.
By showcasing the unexpected nature in this artificial habitat, the film inspires us to reimagine our relationship as humans with nature in general. Since nature itself is not biased and does not classify its surroundings as right or wrong, why should we? And therefor, should we not embrace and preserve all nature, regardless of where it manifests itself?
Wild Port of Europe could not have been made if the filmmakers themselves had not done extensive research on the wildlife in the area. The first two years of the film production were mainly devoted to research, as there are hardly any ecological reports on wildlife behavior in industrial areas. And although many animals visit the port, they often only show up briefly and almost nothing is known about their exact whereabouts. Some species develop atypical behaviours, adapting to the unusual circumstances of the habitat. For example, the specific hunting technique of the polecat in the port had never been filmed before. In this way, the film footage of Wild Port of Europe has also provided new insights for biologists and ecologists.
Showing rich nature in an extremely industrialized world can evoke strong contradicting emotions. By showing the port from an alienated perspective, and by portraying both extremes – wild nature versus the industrialized world – as equals in a poetic and musical way without prejudice and directive commentary, Wild Port of Europe encourages us to reconsider our own role and responsibility towards nature in our ongoingly industrializing world.
“With Wild Port of Europe, we want to put the case for misunderstood nature. The film is about unseen wildlife which – against all expectations – is trying to survive in an extremely industrialised landscape totally controlled by humans: the biggest port in Europe.
An area that is also constantly evolving and expanding. The presence of rich nature here is unexpected and awkward, and therefore generally tends to be denied rather than embraced. From one side, this nature is marginalised due to economic motives because this remains first and foremost an industrial port area. And from the other side, it is often denied out of dislike or disbelieve because nature in a ‘dirty’ place like an industrial area does not align with our nostalgic image of nature, or our current world view.
It is particularly this split that makes Wild Port of Europe so explicit in its form. Cinematically, we were deliberately looking for the contrast between the natural and industrial worlds. We call it ‘poetic discomfort’. Without moral bias and with no overly directive voiceover, Wild Port of Europe leaves the experience and interpretation of its story up to the viewer.”
