The Fundy Film Society

Rivers and Tides

Rivers and Tides, which has won numerous awards around the world, is the latest documentary by German filmmaker Thomas Riedelsheimer. He here turns his gaze on the richly enigmatic figure of British environmental artist Andy Goldsworthy, known around the world for his awe-inspiring creations.

Goldsworthy is no ordinary artist; his muse is nature, and that’s exactly where his works are intended to live out their lives, rather than in the museums and galleries where so many visual artists aspire to have their works end up. Known for making his art in the wild with whatever resources he finds at the site—including stones, wood and leaves—he aims to have the final products appear as though they have been there all along. Among the organic, beautiful creations he works on during the film are a driftwood igloo in Nova Scotia, which is destroyed as the tide comes in, causing it to dissemble; the overall effect is not only poignant, but almost magical.

We also see Goldsworthy on his farm in Scotland, his favourite place to work, building his trademark stone pine cones—and then witness them change with the seasons. A lover of nature and a truly dedicated artist, Goldsworthy’s work is perfectly suited to being captured by the movie camera, which breathes life into his work and draws forward the elegant harmony between his art and the natural world. Director Riedelsheimer spent over a year with Goldsworthy, and the intimate rapport that developed between the two allows the artist to really open up about why he does what he does; this is the final perfect touch to a film that will inspire everyone to reacquaint themselves with the great outdoors.