She carves canyons, fertilizes fields, creates playgrounds, nesting grounds and deep pools. People drink her water, write poems about her, harness her energy, and fight over her. The Sava River is a liquid connection between four countries and countless ecosystems.

In this powerful full-length documentary, viewers float alongside four mischievous kayakers as they paddle across Slovenia sampling water, surveying birds and getting to know the Sava: her wild past, dark history, colorful present and uncertain future.

Camping on bleached gravel bars and in thick healthy forests, the four friends explore the Sava’s many secrets as they travel from the source of the river in the Julian Alps near the border of Italy, for 258 km to the Croatian border.

Over 11 days, they played and paddled in stunning whitewater, but the film isn’t just about kayaking. The crew also sampled water for an environmental DNA (eDNA) study of the river, and performed the first complete water bird census of the Sava River during nesting season, delivering two complete data sets which will be used as ammunition to protect the river from 10-12 new dam projects planned in Slovenia.

Says director Rožle Brega, “With six years of intense experience in our pockets—working on Balkan Rivers Tour and producing The Undamaged documentary—we have decided to narrow down the focus and pay tribute to just one river; our home river.

…we did our best to present her exactly as we experienced her; wild, mysterious but also fragile and vulnerable. The Sava Story is an ode to our dear friend, the Sava, who is facing threats from 12 new dams.”

The Sava Story will leave viewers with the desire to explore their local river and illustrates how a boat and a paddle can open up a world of exploration, learning and conservation.

***

Don’t miss The Sava Story, now on YouTube. 

Produced by Rok Rozman

Directed by Rožle Brega

For more information on the Sava and how you can help protect her future, visit www.balkanriverdefence.org, www.leeway-collective.com.