Barne’s ‘River of Freedom’ Flows to Cinemas

Feature documentary River of Freedom, directed by Gaylene Barnes (DEGANZ), premieres on 5 September before its general cinema release from the 7th.

The film gets to the heart of the 2022 COVID mandate protests, told from the inside of the movement. Gaylene and the team documented Aotearoa’s largest protest in recent history, from the nationwide convoy to the 23-day Parliament occupation. They share the stories of the protesters – who they were, why they were there, and what happened on the front lines.

To cover such an expansive protest, the team divided and conquered, documenting the movement from different parts of the country. While Gaylene went to Bluff to film the key organisers and the convoy’s inception, cinematographer Mark Lapwood captured Cape Reinga’s convoy. The film also thanks all the independent media and filmmakers who contributed.

The film is entirely crowdfunded, having raised over $100k through their Buymeacoffee campaign. The team received support from over 1,600 people with most donations spanning between $25 and $200.

Check here to see when you can catch River of Freedom in your local cinema.

Last updated on 31 August 2023