Award-winning film diving into lives of cold water swimming community coming to Lancaster screen

The Wildwater feature documentary explores how people use Gaddings Dam, near Hebden Bridge, for the restorative powers of cold water to reconnect with their mental health, identity, nature and eachother.

The film will be screened at Halton Mill, in Mill Lane, on October 11, and will be followed by a Q&A session with its director Ben Davis.

Gaddings Dam is a reservoir hidden in the West Yorkshire moors 780 feet above sea level, posing a steep twenty-minute trek up a snaking footpath for those drawn to its beauty in all seasons; always the same, always different.

Cast in a bleak yet romantic landscape steeped in the poetry and prose of Ted Hughes and the Brontës, it lays claim to England’s highest beach.

This strip of sand acts as a magnet to a vibrant community of swimmers, day-trippers, walkers, livestock, bikers and runners.

Hardened locals brave the wind, rain and snow to wild swim for escape, comradeship, to keep the black dog at bay, or just for the sheer thrill and spiritual release.

As the water envelops their body, all experience the same visceral hit, taking away everything except the moment; time stops, and the world is at peace.

The film won Best Sound and Music at the Toronto Documentary and Short Film Festival in 2023, and was also an award winner at the Hawaii International Film Awards the same year.

Entry to the film and Q&A is £8, and starts at 7pm (bar from 6.30pm).

Tickets are available at https://www.trybooking.com/uk/events/landing/63558?