Adventurer, competitor, daughter, friend, pioneer, hero, and badass human are all words used to describe French kayaker, Nouria Newman. In Wild Waters, we follow Nouria as she prepares to become the first female to run a 100ft (30m) waterfall; we watch her grow from a young, keen Olympic hopeful to one of the greatest kayakers of all time – male or female.
However, running some of the world’s hardest whitewater isn’t Nouria’s biggest life challenge. Realizing that the expectations placed upon her as both an athlete and as a woman weigh heavily on her decisions and ambitions, she pushes back to make her own path.
It is this central aspect of her life— this refusal to conform to others’ expectations— where Nouria is able to use kayaking as a way to transform into her truest self, and become a once-in-a-generation kayaker.
This film was part of VIMFF 2023 and is no longer available for viewing.
A former pro-kayaker himself, David Arnaud has worked as producer and director in the outdoor world for more than 15 years.
From ordinary heroes to world-class athletes and Olympians, he particularly enjoys drawing the human factor from complex stories and environments to make them accessible to mainstream audiences.
In-between his travels he can be spotted in his kayak on rivers across the Alps, flying his hang glider or chilling with his young family.
