The Green Film Series will open their fall season on Monday, Sept. 15, with the film DamNation at the Gibsons Heritage Playhouse. This film explores the changing attitude towards dams in the past 50 years, their removal and the recovery of the fish and eco-systems of the rivers.
It is a timely film for British Columbia as the province considers building larger dams such as Site C in the Peace River Valley and independent power plants on our rivers, while in the U.S. they are beginning to remove dams and find more cost-effective and innovative solutions.
A short film by Vancouverite Damien Gillis, Site C Dam: Food for Thought, will also be screened. Some of B.C.'s most productive food growing land is located in the Peace River Valley. Local resident George Smith will present an update on the Site C dam proposal and a discussion will follow the films.
This powerful film odyssey across the U.S. explores the change in attitude from pride in big dams as engineering wonders to the growing awareness that our own future is bound to the life and health of our rivers. Dam removal has moved beyond the fictional Monkey Wrench Gang to go mainstream.
Directed and edited by Ben Knight, with Travis Rummel, co-director and co-producer, and Matt Stoecker, co-producer and director of underwater photography, DamNation conveys experiences known so far to only a few, including the awe of watching a 30-pound salmon hurtling 20 feet into the air in a vain attempt to reach the spawning grounds that lie barricaded upriver. We witness the seismic power of a dam breaking apart and, once the river breaks free, the elation in watching wild salmon swimming their way home after a century of denied access.
The rest of the Green Film series fall line-up includes: Cowspiracy on Oct. 27, The Yes Men Are Revolting (tentative, waiting confirmation) on Nov. 17 and Just Eat It! on Dec. 1. This year the series is offering season passes for $40 for all of the fall films. The passes are a way to support the Green Film series to make sure these great documentary films continue to be shown on the Sunshine Coast.
The Green Film Series is dedicated to using film as a tool for community engagement on environmental and sustainability issues and is produced by Rhizome Up! Media. The screening events are meant to foster the role of film as a catalyst for dialogue, networking and action. For more information or to reserve seats or buy a season pass, go to: www.greenfilms.ca
Doors open at 7 p.m. with the film starting at 7:30 p.m. Admission is by donation. The Gibsons Heritage Playhouse is located at 662 North Road in Gibsons.
