I Follow Rivers

Mariann Sæther is one of the world’s leading whitewater kayakers. She has challenged expectations—both within the male-dominated world of extreme sports and in society more broadly. She refuses to accept that family life means leaving the river behind. After the birth of her second child, Mariann fails to qualify for the World Championships. She sets her sights on a goal: to paddle the Aldeyjarfoss. But one question becomes impossible to ignore: is life on the river really worth the risk? 

Filmed over seven years, I Follow Rivers follows world-class kayaker and mother Mariann Sæther as she navigates risk, loss, ambition, and motherhood in a powerful story about balance, acceptance, and what it means to live fully.

[Nanna Lykke, Festival Manager]​