Jo in the Water | "an ordinary person who stood up and took action"

Hullo. My name is Lee

It’s so big, David against Goliath probably had better odds than Jo Bateman verses South West Water. Jo in the Water is the documentary that follows the former physiotherapist as she finds community and momentum in the legal quest against the water company’s sewage discharges.

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Directed by Exmouth-based filmmaker Pip Piper, Jo in the Water is such a wonderfully wholesome seagrass-roots swathe of quality filmmaking that it’s no wonder it galvanized people around the issue of water quality in the UK.

With a screening tour set to begin in the South West, Jo and Pip sat down to answer some of D&CFilm‘s questions.

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Jo in the Water is both personal and something that pretty much the whole UK is suffering. As a filmmaker, is that what attracted you to the story and how did you get involved to make the film?

Hullo...

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Pip: I was alerted to Jo by the journalist who broke the story. He put me in touch with Jo and we met and I just knew this was a film that needed making.

Yes, it is personal as Jo and I both live in Exmouth and love the sea. I think Jo is the ‘every person’ that represents all of us who are so affected and offended by this local and national scandal. Her passion and personality really drew me to make it.

Taking on a water company is a big task. What was your initial reaction to doing the film – did you feel it would be a distraction, or help with what you are doing?

Jo: Initially I was just blown away by the idea of a film bring made about me. I hoped it would help my battle with the water industry, and it definitely has.

This is a contemporary issue that isn’t out of the headlines – did that help or hinder the process, and what were the similarities or differences with other documentaries you’ve been involved with?

Pip: Good question , a bit of both really in terms of hinder or help. It is great to have a film with so much zeitgeist and attention, but that also means you need to work to find the unique voice of your film in the midst of all the other noise and stories. For us, that is Jo and Exmouth.

There are some similarities to other films I have made, but each is like a new child so that’s how I treat it.

One of the great outcomes of the film was that sense of community it creates, is that something that has taken you by surprise of what you expected?

Jo: Making the film has been an amazing experience, and the biggest plus by far is the community it has introduced me to. I moved to Exmouth in 2018 and immediately loved it, but the film has brought me to people with whom I feel a real connection – people who think like me, who care about things, and who are willing to take action. I’ve found my tribe and that’s a lovely thing.

You’re both based in the area the film is set, what was it like exploring a story right on your doorstep?

Pip: Really great for me. Obvs we did travel with the film as it extends out into the wider national scandal and that took us to lots of places away from Exmouth.

The key factor for me was an increased awareness and sense of responsibility that what I make will reflect on where I live and the people here. We needed to ensure we didn’t make out Exmouth to be the poo capital of the UK, but rather focus on its beauty and why it’s worth fighting for and also ensure the audience understood this problem exists everywhere in all our waters.

Jo: Again, it brought me to people I would never otherwise have met. And helped me feel that this is my home and I belong here.

Jo Bateman taking her campaign to Downing Street

Taking about a world of stories on your doorstep, Pip you lead the DocLab series in Exeter, where people explore their documentary ideas. Did you doing this feed into and inspire other filmmakers, and would people be surprised at the range and extent of stories that need to be told?

Pip: Doc Lab is such a great open and welcoming place. I run it with Luke from the Phoenix in Exeter and over the past 2 years it has been extraordinary to see people bring and develop such incredible ideas. Those who come along range from the first time filmmakers to the very experienced and its all peer led so we learn from one another and the occasional guest.
Check it out and come along.

Legal issues have their own boundaries, but what has making the film, and now the tour of the film, done for the momentum of your campaign?

Jo: The the making of the film has been instrumental in the lawyers – Leigh Day – taking on the group legal action – the people of Exmouth vs. South West Water. More widely, the publicity surrounding both my case and the film has helped raise awareness of the sewage problem both locally and nationally, which undoubtedly helps put pressure on the powers that be and encourages others to stand up against the water industry.

“The film has brought me to people with whom I feel a real connection – people who think like me, who care about things, and who are willing to take action. I’ve found my tribe and that’s a lovely thing.”

What were the challenges in making Jo In the Water, and now that it’s made, what are the challenges faced in getting it out there?

Pip: Like all films, raising money is always challenging. This was no different despite its zeitgeist. Surfers against Sewage came on board first and then River Action UK, both bringing in the first bits of funding as our partners. Environmental investors and crowd funding and a grant then helped get it made.

The real struggle for films like this in getting out there is not having loads of money to promote, so we need people like you Lee and many others to shout and champion what we have made. Thank you. We have great links with indie cinemas and chains though past films releases so they are behind us. I am confident we will have many many screenings both in the South West and further afield across the spring and summer.

It feels like you’re taking on almost intractable problems one step at a time. Was it ever overwhelming, and what were the unexpected joys of the filmmaking process?

Pip: Jo made the process so easy in terms of access and support. We also knew we were just making a film to help amplify the bigger issue and be part of the wider national conversation. We are not trying to solve everything. The film champions Jo as an ordinary person who stood up and took action. Our hope is that the film will help inspire many others to do what they can. Local activism is really key to change.

Jo: It’s definitely overwhelming at times, particularly when lots of different events, interviews, etc are all kicking off at the same time. But the joys far outweigh that – the people I’ve met, the experiences I’ve had; it’s been a privilege, incredibly rewarding, and also a lot of fun. But I’m a person who generally spends a lot of time alone, from choice, and one of these days I’ll be crawling back under my rock!

Thank you!

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