Video: Blesbokspruit Wins NWB Award 2022
- mwierda6
- Nov 3, 2022
- 2 min read
"And the winner is... the video about the Blesbokspruit project in South Africa!" With these words, Bert van Boggelen, director of the NWB Fund, announced the winner of the NWB Award 2022. The award recognizes the best video about international water management work.
On November 1st, the annual networking day of the Dutch Water Authorities took place at Villa Jongerius in Utrecht, a day for water management professionals active internationally. The audience was invited to choose the winner from a shortlist of three videos. The other two nominees were videos about projects in the Palestinian territories and in Ghana. This year's theme was "pride in pictures." Van Boggelen said, "It is important to raise awareness of what the water authorities are doing abroad and to be proud of that. Remarkable work is being done. The NWB award highlights that."
This year, the NWB Award was presented for the first time, after several years of postponement due to COVID-19. The intention is for this to become an annual event and a tradition. This time, ten videos were submitted about projects in six different countries. An expert jury from the NWB Fund, the international water sector, and professional filmmakers selected a shortlist of three videos.
Van Boggelen: "The jury mainly looked at the story in the videos. Does it stick with you? Will you enthusiastically retell it at a birthday party? In addition, the jury considered design and content. Are the images striking? Is the project innovative? The choice was difficult, as every video had something beautiful to offer." A compilation of the best shots from all the videos was made (see the link at the bottom of this article). It exudes enthusiasm, and the same was true for the audience during the networking day. Voting took place with colored cards, but the applause was particularly deafening.
The winning team receives "eternal glory," according to Van Boggelen; this means a photo on the wall of fame at the Union of Water Authorities office in The Hague and an article in the professional magazine Het Waterschap. Additionally, the winning team receives a €5,000 prize to spend on communication within their project. As a personal gift, the team members will receive a signed book about the significance of water.
Why did the video about the Blesbokspruit project win? The jury report states: "Varied images and a clear story about the water hyacinth. How this plant overtakes a wetland and destroys the water system. But also how it is combated and how local residents make products from it, providing them with an income. It’s a story you can understand and feel good about: people are having a better life because of this project. This is something you want to see more of."
The audience needed fewer words: "It’s just a beautiful project and a really catchy video." According to project leader Yolanda Arkestein, the success factor of the project is enthusiasm, and they managed to capture that on film. She beams with pride: "This is recognition for what we’re doing in South Africa!"
Next year, the NWB Award will be presented again. In the meantime, the NWB Fund will organize film training for water experts to encourage and further professionalize video-making.
Curious? All submissions and the compilation can be viewed via the following link:
