Eden comes to Whanganui - Davis Lecture Theatre

The Eden Project, Cornwall, UK, is the topic of a film screening on Friday at the Davis Lecture Theatre. Photo / Getty Images

Documentary filmmaker Robin Kewell will be bringing his award-winning film Eden — The Inside Story to Whanganui for a special screening on June 10 at the Davis Lecture Theatre at the Whanganui Regional Museum.

The screening is to raise awareness in the community about the Back the Blooms on Bastia project, which has attracted a lot of attention in the past few weeks since the Bell family nursery on Bastia Hill went on the market and the tender was won by the Back the Blooms on Bastia group.

Whanganui's mayor, Hamish McDouall, and Jack Hobbs, manager of the Auckland Botanic Gardens, are supporting the project and the fundraising initiatives to make it happen.

The idea for the Eden project came from visionary and ex-rock musician Tim Smit, who discovered the Lost Gardens of Heligan, in Cornwall.

A Victorian garden and nursery that had been abandoned for 27 years, this Sleeping Beauty was re-awakened in 1990 to become Europe's largest garden restoration project. Today The Lost Gardens of Heligan are a paradise for the explorer, wildlife, plant lover and garden romantic.

"There are many parallels to be drawn with Heligan Gardens in Cornwall and this hidden treasure in Whanganui," says Robin, who worked on filming at Heligan and the Eden Project.

"I was privileged to have been involved with the Eden Project from the early days when it was just a dream to when it became a reality in 2001 and earned the title, 'The Eighth Wonder of the World'."

During seven years Robin filmed more than 3500 hours of footage resulting in several feature length films, one of which will be shown at the Davis Lecture Theatre on June 10.

For more information about Back the Blooms on Bastia go to https://www.115mtview.onbastia.co.nz/

The Details
What: Eden — The Inside Story
When: Friday, June 10, doors open 6.30pm, film starts at 7pm.
Where: Davis Lecture Theatre, Whanganui Regional Museum, Watt St.
Tickets: Admission $15 and $10 (concessions). Tickets from eventfinda.co.nz and on door.