Wad: surviving on the border of water and land (2018)

Directed by: Ruben Smit | 93 minutes | documentary

The Wadden area is without doubt one of the most special nature reserves that you will find in the Netherlands. The islands and sandbanks, which give the coastal area its characteristic appearance, dry up at low tide. This interplay between ebb and flow creates a versatile habitat for a diverse spectrum of flora and fauna, a natural wealth that gives the area its World Heritage status.

A rewarding subject for the passionate and skilled nature filmer Ruben Smit, who previously won the hearts of many nature lovers with the cinema film ‘The New Wilderness’ and the series ‘Living River’. Smit worked for no less than five years on ‘Wad: survival on the border between water and land’. The result may be there for sure.

What is particularly striking is the organic nature of the documentary. Smit clearly opts for a holistic approach. The entire food chain, from tiny single-celled organisms and diatoms to the larger and charismatic Wadden Sea inhabitants such as the seal and peregrine falcon, is visualized to make it clear that we are dealing here with an ecosystem in which everything is connected. Flora and fauna are not only engaged in a constant battle with the elements, but also in a battle with each other. The herring gull survives by ending the early life of a duckling, the peregrine falcon depends on the flocks of birds that migrate through its habitat and the flatfish perpetuates its existence by feeding on the countless micro-organisms that make up the broad bottom of the food pyramid. But sometimes cooperation instead of eating or being eaten is also the cornerstone of life on the mudflats. A good example of this are the thousands of clams glued together that form a reef. The animals filter the seawater and thus form the basis for a long and complex chain of underwater life.

In terms of style, ‘Wad: surviving on the border of water and land’ navigates between contemplation, spectacle, drama and modesty. For example, a spectacular fight between two male seals is heavily instigated and unfolds through the use of close-ups and slow motion into an epic scene with serious cinema potential. The same goes for the scene in which the peregrine falcon, accompanied by rousing music, dives into a huge flock of birds to string an unfortunate victim to its razor-sharp claws. For example, the drama is completed in the grueling journey that a group of newborn shelducks has to make; straight through the dunes, the fluffy creatures have to find their way to the nutrient-rich mudflats. But creatures that normally remain hidden from most people’s eyes, such as ejaculating mussels and skittish shrimp, are also extensively featured. Or take the sea sparkle, a single-celled organism that not everyone will know. But when these simple creatures light up collectively in the nighttime waves, they transform the Wadden Sea into a true fairytale backdrop. The film also deliberately chooses to switch between intimacy and grandeur. Images of microscopic life in the mud emphasize the former, while drone images beautifully highlight the vastness of the Wadden area.

Humans are mainly an absent factor in Smits Waddenrijk. The Wadden Sea is presented as an untouched dimension where only the echo of nature resounds. Perhaps a defensible choice, but sometimes also a bit unfortunate. The Wadden Sea is in fact an area that has been (and still is) strongly influenced over the centuries by human activities such as fishing, gas drilling, tourism and climate change. The result is that as a viewer you eventually learn very little about how the Dutch Wadden Sea compares to other, similar-looking nature reserves. Little attention is also paid to the future of the Wadden Sea, and in particular the question of how climate change will affect this beautiful piece of World Heritage.

Nevertheless, ‘Wad: surviving on the border of water and land’ is a nice addition to the already increasingly rich collection of Dutch nature films. A little more context would occasionally have been desirable, but nevertheless this versatile portrait of the Dutch Wadden area is a feast for the eyes.