Nature Film Wednesday / European Wildlife Film Awards: The Godwit was here (Dutch w. English subtitles)

• Movie, Cinema, TV

Everything is ready on the de Boer family's farm in Friesland: The water is high, the meadows are in bloom - ideal conditions for the black-tailed godwits to arrive. Year after year, they return in large numbers. For farmer Bote de Boer, they are more than just guests - they are part of his life's work. But while conservationists are delighted, the farm is on the brink of collapse economically: the cows can't cope on the old-fashioned meadow, the tractor needs replacing and the bank doesn't want to see migratory birds, but healthy annual figures. The pressure in the family is growing. While one son emigrates to Portugal, the other demands that the bird paradise be levelled.

While the farming family tries to survive, the black-tailed godwits are no different. When they arrive hungry, they pull fat worms out of the ground. After a dip in the pond, the big mating dance can begin. The black-tailed godwit has come from Africa for a reason: It has to reproduce, otherwise it faces extinction.

The film follows a family struggling to survive while the black-tailed godwits fight their own battles. The film is about species protection, agriculture and the question of how the two can go together.

A film by Barbara Makkinga

Will be shown in

Dutch - with English subtitles

*****

This film is one of 50 productions selected for the European Wildlife Film Awards (EWFA) and is up for the Audience Award, which will be presented in February 2026. Cinema-goers will have the opportunity to rate the film on site.

*****

About the European Wildlife Film Awards (EWFA)

The EWFA is the first wildlife film competition to exclusively honour documentaries about European wildlife. Presented by the German Wildlife Foundation, there are a total of six award categories. 245 films were submitted for the first competition in 2025. A jury of experts from the fields of nature conservation, media, science and culture selected the winners in the categories of wildlife, biodiversity, nature conservation and storytelling. Cinema-goers also had the opportunity to rate the films. They voted for the best short film and decide on the Audience Award, which will be presented for the first time in 2026.

*****