Rivers Ruined and Ripped Apart by our Next Pair of Jeans

River Blue Conscious Fashion & Film Discussion Night – Tuesday 28th May 7pm


“If not now, then when? if not us, then who?” – Hillel the Elder

The documentary River Blue is the visionary feature film that shines a light on the dirty secrets of what’s happening in and to our rivers, and encourages us to take a moment to consider – can fashion save the planet? It follows Mark Angelo on his journey through some of the world’s most ruined rivers, left to decay by the destruction of the fast-paced fashion industry. 

Spraying blue dye onto jeans which is washed into the river

Mark Angelo is a writer, speaker, teacher, paddler, river conservationist and is the founder and chair of BC Rivers Day, and World Rivers Day; which is now an annual event held on the last Sunday in September and is celebrated in more than 60 countries by millions of people all over the world. 

Mark has played a significant part in numerous river conservation projects, including the restoration of the Britannia Creek, which saw salmon return to its waters for the first time in a century following Mark’s work in early 2011. He also received the Order of British Columbia and the Order of Canada in recognition for his river conservation efforts. 

Following his retirement from full time conservation work, the City of Burnby honoured Mark by naming a local city stream after him. It was christened Angelo Creek in 2012. In 2015 Canadian Geographical Magazine named him one of Canada’s 100 greatest modern-day explorers. 

The feature film River Blue was released in 2016 and followed Mark’s three-year-around-the-world journey by river from 2012 to 2015. Throughout the film, he documented and uncovered the immeasurable freshwater pollution impact of the global fashion industry. Narrated by well-known director and actor Jason Priestley, a life-long water advocate, this fresh documentary looks closely at the devastating destruction of our rivers, the effects on humanity and the solutions that are the torch bearers of hope for a supportable future. Because of intense chemical manufacturing processes and the dangerous dumping of chemical toxic waste, our love for fashion has ruined rivers and heavily impacted the lives of those who count on these waterways as a way of life. 

River Blue not only brings our attention to the annihilation of some of the world’s most important clothing manufacturers through the making of our clothes, but will also act as a beacon for the remarkable change in the clothing industry from the big fashion brands that can make a difference. 

After its release, the film won several International awards, which include best documentary at Raindance, the UK’s most significant independent film festival. It also went on to be honoured at the 2018 water forum in Brasilia, which is the world’s largest water-related convention and took home both the acclaimed Green Drop Award and the AFD Best Film Award, valuing the film from 2017 for its role in best promoting sustainability. 

River Blue is taking the plunge into the dusty, rotten secrets of the fashion industry, and shining the light on the details some would rather were left unseen. 

We are happy to announce that The Sound Temple – as part of Common Threads Woven Through Community – has been granted the screening licence for a public sharing of this incredible film right here in the Perth Hills. We will be showing this ground-breaking documentary on Tuesday May 28th at 7pm and after the screening, there will be time for a discussion and to reflect on what can we do now and how can we do our part and make a difference.

Come join us for River Blue Conscious Fashion Film and Discussion Night as we take a stand and learn more about ripping apart years of fashion propaganda and environmental abuse. Change begins with awareness. After that comes the steps towards a brighter future for those to come and those already effected by the secrets that for so many years too long have lived wrapped in shadows.