River of Freedom TRAILER
River of Freedom is a New Zealand feature documentary film about the 3-week occupation of the capital city of Wellington in February and March 2022. The film examines the conditions that led to thousands of diverse New Zealanders from across the country coming out to protest, and the reasons behind their determination to stay camping as a community on Parliament lawn.
The people were primarily protesting mandatory vaccination requirements as the New Zealand Government had legislated the entire population be vaccinated for COVID-19. New Zealanders who chose to manage their risk of getting sick or dying from COVID-19 in other ways were forcefully removed from jobs, businesses and livelihoods.
The film examines the coercion and propaganda directed at the New Zealand population by the media and government; it exposes the risks known, but not revealed to the population about the safety profile of the vaccine, as deaths from vaccine injury mount up; it discusses an High Court win whereby compulsory vaccination for New Zealand Police and Defence Force staff was found to be unlawful; and, it explores how the self-sustaining community on Parliament lawn evolved with the help of Maori and many diverse groups of Kiwis.
Featuring the music of Eric Clapton, Right Said Fred and many New Zealand artists.
The protestors were finally forcefully evicted by Police on 2 March using pepper spray, ramming shields and sponge bullets, many directed at media, including our filmmakers recording this event, and who suffered injury.