Screening of Bevis Bowden’s 'Marginalia | song to the river'

Shot during Bevis Bowden’s tenure as a Visiting Research Fellow in the Creative Arts at Merton College, this film explores the River Isis and its wildlife amidst growing land pressures and the challenges of climate change. Through a blend of poetry, song, and reflective statements, it invites viewers to consider who we are and how we relate to the ever-changing dynamics of nature.

The film features the poem Isis by Penny Boxall, a former VRF at Merton, alongside contributions from Ricardo Pérez-de la Fuente, Jonathan Westaway, and Lukas Krone. Together, they delve into themes such as the environments lost to climate change, the river as a living, breathing superorganism, and the profound sense of stewardship astronauts often feel upon returning to Earth.

Running time: 44 minutes
Format: Cinemascope

Filmed as part of Merton College's Creative Arts Fellowship between October 2023 and August 2024, the project captures a section of the Thames, with additional elements filmed at Merton College, Oxford.

A reception will follow in the Eliot Foyer. No advance booking is required.