The documentary “Many faces of the Zevenhuizerplas” will be screened every hour on Sunday 1 December, in collaboration with Omroep West, from 12:00. This cinematic documentary about the resulting natural beauty in an artificial recreational lake was made by Robert Hughan and Arthur Scheijde.

The film

The pike, a large freshwater predatory fish, takes you on an exploration tour through the Zevenhuizerplas during the four seasons. You can see the natural beauty from the air, on land, between the reed beds and above and below the water level. The many faces of this water feature, in which recreational day-trippers live in symbiosis with the rich nature, provide a fascinating glimpse behind the scenes of this natural spectacle.

The flora and fauna is filmed during the four seasons. Each season presents its own challenges for the animals and plants. The natural cycle reflects life in which one has to constantly find new ways to deal with all the challenges. Who would have ever thought that a recreational lake for water sports, swimming and sunbathing would include this kind of natural diversity?

Movie inspiration

The Zevenhuizer Plas between Rotterdam and Gouda was dug in the 1970s to extract sand for housing. The deep excavation has created a lush underwater landscape in which flora and fauna form a varied biodiversity. In 2015, director and underwater cameraman Robert Hughan explored the resulting underwater world by invitation. Hughan was immediately captivated by the masterful beauty he found. This water feature has developed into a habitat for all kinds of flora and fauna, both underwater and on the shore. Fish, birds and many types of vegetation have overcome this artificial intervention in nature and transformed it into natural beauty. The unique properties of this recreational piece of mother nature inspired a film about the lake.