Jo in the Water + River Deben Short

Sea swimming is Jo Bateman’s sanctuary—until sewage spills threaten the waters she loves. A passionate sea swimmer turned reluctant activist, Jo Bateman takes on one of the UK’s biggest water companies in a David-and-Goliath battle to protect our oceans from devastating sewage pollution.

As Jo’s courage helps ignite a growing movement, this film exposes the dire state of our water system and asks: who will stand up for our right to swim in clean natural waters, for the species and communities that rely upon them?

Jo in the Water is a powerful, emotional feature-length documentary film. It is not just about water pollution; it is about connection—to nature, to our own sense of place, and to our responsibility for the world around us.

Also screening "How Polluted is the River Deben?" a 2023 short documentary film directed and edited by Tim Curtis (Life on the Deben) in collaboration with the Deben Climate Centre and the University of East Anglia (UEA) on pollution in the River Deben.

Programme Type: Film

Director: Pip Piper

Cast: Jo Bateman, Jeremy Vine, Jim Murray MBE, Chris Packham

Certificate: 12A

Running Time: 100 minutes