The Ponds
Synopsis
In the middle of London lies Hampstead Heath, 320 hectares of forest, parkland and wildlife, plus three unique, gender-segregated swimming ponds. People take the waters in them all year round, just as they did in the time of Keats and Constable.
Capturing all the beauty of the English seasons, Patrick McLennan and Samuel Smith filmed the swimmers over 12 months as they shivered, laughed, complained, ruminated, philosophised or simply sought respite from all that life threw at them.
THE PONDS is a heart-warming celebration of eccentricity and sheer bloody-mindedness as these unusual people, united by a shared passion, meet to take on whatever the weather… and life… throws at them.
Details
- Year
- 2018
- Type of project
- Features
- Running time
- 74 min
- Format
- HD 1080p PAL
- Director
-
Patrick McLennan, Samuel Smith 1st Feature
- Producer
- Patrick McLennan, Samuel Smith
- Executive Producer
- Christopher Hird
- Editor
- Samuel Smith
- Screenwriter
- Patrick McLennan
- Director of Photography
- Samuel Smith
- Sound
- Jasper Thorn
- Composer
- Dai Watts
- Film Colourist
- Paul Koren
Categories
Production Status
Production Company
Laser Guided Productions Ltd.
Patrick McLennanFlat 2, 61 Maygrove Road
London
NW6 2EE
Sales Company
Silvia Angrisani,
Aquatic FilmsUnit 10, Southbrook Mews
Southbrook Road
Lee, London SE12 8LG
United Kingdom
m: +33 6 76 57 09 90
e: silvia@aquaticfilms.net
w: http://www.aquaticfilms.net/
Page updates
This page was last updated on 12th May 2025. Please let us know if we need to make any amendments or request edit access by clicking below.
See also
You may also be interested in other relevant projects in the database.
Spacewoman
Director: Hannah Berryman
Year: 2024
A landmark feature documentary about astronaut Eileen Collins, the first woman to pilot and command the Space Shuttle. Eileen’s incredible journey starts with her smalltown beginnings, sees her smash through many glass ceilings, and culminates in four dramatic space shuttle missions, the last being possibly the most dangerous and most important of them all. At its heart the film is the moving human drama of one family, where a mother’s extraordinary career takes us straight to the big philosophical question of what is the level of acceptable risk in human endeavour? This film celebrates Commander Collins’ trailblazing NASA career which opened the way for women to become spacecraft pilots and commanders, and proved a perfect riposte to a previous generation of male astronauts who thought there was no place for women to lead the way in space. Official Selection DOC NYC 2024 - World premiere Official Selection CPH:DOX 2025 - European premiere
Elegy for the Lost
Director: William Hong-xiao Wei
Year: 2025
Through the psychoanalytic and introspective voiceover of a young post-pandemic Chinese migrant in Europe, the film interweaves her private memories of intimacy with public narratives of resistance. As her reflections unfold, she and her community navigate secrecy, repression, survival, looming precarity, and displacement, all while confronting the personal cost of existing in a world that demands their silence.
Fires and Fascism
Director: Peter Knapp
Year: 2025
FIRES AND FACISM shows the wildfires in Europe are more than just from climate change and mismanagement, but link also with politics, big business, organised crime, and the far right. The film showcases how communities are engaging in direct action, protest, rewilding, and suppressing the rise of both uncontrollable fires and fascist attitudes. The aim of the film is to unite communities in an increasingly divided society. It shows some ways to bring people together for a common cause and the positive impact this has. Featured are the experiences and actions of 25 people from Greece, Italy, Spain, and Portugal, and their actions to build community for a safer and more resilient future.