"Whiskey is for drinking, water is for fighting."
— Mark Twain
Requiem for a River explores the New Mexico stretch of the Rio Grande —an iconic but endangered American waterway —in a time of climate crisis and calls for environmental justice. Through lyrical imagery and in-depth interviews with a diverse range of residents—Native, Latinx, Indo-Hispanics and Anglo— this immersive documentary reveals the once-mighty river's role as a lifeline in the desert and asks whether the keys to a more sustainable, equitable future lie in New Mexico's pre-American past.
The Rio Grande's story is one that faces river communities throughout the western US amid growing climate instability, a reckoning for social justice, and the over-allocation and privatization of a vital, limited resource. The film takes viewers deep into the daily experiences of people whose lives, cultures, and futures are all tied to the river: indigenous Pueblo peoples for whom the river is sacred; urban environmental activists fighting for water justice; acequia-keepers who maintain communal irrigation systems built by their Spanish ancestors; a conservative white farmer who fears government restrictions on his water-intensive crops; and a newly elected member of the US Congress who argues that now is the time for collaboration and meaningful change. Requiem for a River also explores the ecological, cultural, and spiritual significance of the Rio Grande as well as the environmental and human costs of the twentieth-century effort to harness and control the great rivers of the West for agricultural and municipal growth.
The areas along the Rio Grande are places where ancient traditions and the modern world live in an interwoven fabric that is unlike any river system in the country. Rapid industrialization and modernization in and along the river have seen 75% of its water allocated for agriculture, while its reservoirs stand at 4% capacity. All the while the proliferation of dams have disrupted natural habitats
and ecology, with scientists estimating that increased temperatures will
cause a 1/3 of the river to simply evaporate in the coming years. Meanwhile, there are dozens of communities along the river, many existing there for thousands of years, whose stories, origins, and sense of self are tied to its waters. At a time where the paradigm of water management and governance is approaching a breaking point, Requiem for a River showcases those alongside the Rio Grande who are creating the blueprint for more equitable resiliency at a time of increased climate uncertainty.
FILMMAKER'S STATEMENT: "As
an environmental justice documentary, Requiem for a River seeks to
educate - with a poetic touch, not a didactic hand. The film relies on
sensory images and rich sound to deliver its emotional power; grounding
the lyrical, visual sweep of the river —a ribbon of blue snaking through
sun-baked earth —with in-depth, personal stories. By following the
river’s path, Requiem for a River is able to grapple organically with
the most urgent issues of our time, including climate change,
environmental justice, indigenous rights, water rights, and the future
of agriculture.
At
a time where the paradigm of water management and governance needs to
transform, the communities alongside the Rio Grande are creating the
blueprint for more equitable resiliency during a future of climate
uncertainty."
— Mary Patierno
Preview link available upon request. Contact [email protected] for more information