This is a trailer for my forthcoming documentary, Punt Wars, which is now finished and will be available to purchase very soon! Please sign up to my mailing list at puntwars.com if you are interested in buying a copy, and I’ll let you know when its ready.
Punt Wars is a modern tale about an ancient corner of England. Punts and punting are synonymous with Cambridge, but how much do you really know about what goes on on the banks of the river?
In contrast to the tranquil waters and solemn college buildings that line the River Cam, this documentary gives us the inside story about the power struggles at play amongst the punt chauffeur companies that vie for the business of millions of tourists.
The boatsmen who work the river compete with each other to sell tourists punt tours of the university. It’s a vibrant world full of gentlemanly blaggers and scoundrels, and Punt Wars chronicles the commercial and idealogical power struggles of this industry during a tumultuous time.
An ‘insiders’ account, the documentary follows several independent punt-chauffeurs during a period of existential threat to the river industry. The business is threatened by regulations proposed by the local government. Punt Wars tells the story of this seminal era while presenting a microcosm of wider societal forces and ultimately asking some difficult questions about our modern world.