When filmmaker Jessica Plumb first premiered “Return of the River” at the 2014 Port Townsend Film Festival audiences were captivated—earning the film the Audience Award for Best Documentary. Since then, the film has been screened more than a dozen times locally selling out the Rose Theater and other venues each time.
The film follows a group of strong-minded committed people as they attempt the impossible: to change the public opinion of a town and eventually the nation to bring a dam down. The community comes to a consensus, setting the Elwha River free and showing the way to more sustainable future. Amid grim environmental news, Return of the River is a film infused with hope.
On Thursday, October 11, Plumb invites audiences to revisit “Return of the River” through a new lens as she shares the results of ongoing scientific studies mapping the effects of the Elwha Dam removal on the river’s ecosystems and native species.
“At the time the film premiered, the social and political stage surrounding the dam’s removal was winding down but the science was just beginning,” says Plumb. “In October, I’ll have updated results from ongoing fish studies and more to share!
Presented in partnership by Fort Worden, Goddard College, WWU’s Academy for Lifelong Learning, and the Port Townsend Film Festival, “Return of the River” screens at7:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 11, at the Joseph F. Wheeler Theater. Admission is a suggested donation of $10. Tickets available at the door. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
An audience Q&A session with the filmmaker will follow the film.
Learn more at www.fortworden.org.