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River of Grass

Play trailer River of Grass 2025 1h 23m Documentary Nature Play Trailer Watchlist
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RIVER OF GRASS is a present-day reimagining of Marjory Stoneman Douglas's groundbreaking book, "The Everglades: River of Grass," (1947), which transformed the public's understanding of the area from worthless swamps to an essential source of freshwater, enabling the ecosystem to endure, just barely, today. In the wake of a hurricane, Douglas visits filmmaker Sasha Wortzel in a dream and catalyzes a prismatic study of a wilderness that is home to a rich history and a site of resistance in the face of climate collapse. Seeking a way forward, Wortzel reads Douglas's book and embarks on a deep listening walk through the Everglades with Miccosukee educator Betty Osceola. The intertwined voices of the narrator, Betty, and Marjory transport the audience across the Everglades, past and present. Along the way, we meet a mother taking on the polluting sugar industry; a family of crab fishermen who have fished in the Everglades for six generations; a mother daughter team who venture out nightly to remove invasive snakes wreaking havoc on the ecosystem; and a two-spirit Miccosukee environmentalist and poet, among others. Interweaving Douglas's writing, personal narration, stunning present-day verité, and haunting archival footage, RIVER OF GRASS reveals how this country's origin story haunts and inextricably shapes contemporary American life, while asking how we might weather coming storms better together.

Critics Reviews

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Robert Daniels RogerEbert.com Wortzel’s film is a clarion call to protect Florida’s greatest resource. Mar 1, 2025 Full Review Stephen Saito Moveable Fest A variety of perspectives add up to something as exquisitely crystalline, allowing you to get lost in its beauty without losing sight of how easily broken it can be. Mar 4, 2025 Full Review Sarah Boslaugh TheArtsStl Wortzel builds her case primarily through the stories of individuals who share their personal relationships with the region, paired with sometimes stunning cinematography by J. Bennett... Rated: 7/10 Mar 1, 2025 Full Review Read all reviews

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Movie Info

Synopsis RIVER OF GRASS is a present-day reimagining of Marjory Stoneman Douglas's groundbreaking book, "The Everglades: River of Grass," (1947), which transformed the public's understanding of the area from worthless swamps to an essential source of freshwater, enabling the ecosystem to endure, just barely, today. In the wake of a hurricane, Douglas visits filmmaker Sasha Wortzel in a dream and catalyzes a prismatic study of a wilderness that is home to a rich history and a site of resistance in the face of climate collapse. Seeking a way forward, Wortzel reads Douglas's book and embarks on a deep listening walk through the Everglades with Miccosukee educator Betty Osceola. The intertwined voices of the narrator, Betty, and Marjory transport the audience across the Everglades, past and present. Along the way, we meet a mother taking on the polluting sugar industry; a family of crab fishermen who have fished in the Everglades for six generations; a mother daughter team who venture out nightly to remove invasive snakes wreaking havoc on the ecosystem; and a two-spirit Miccosukee environmentalist and poet, among others. Interweaving Douglas's writing, personal narration, stunning present-day verité, and haunting archival footage, RIVER OF GRASS reveals how this country's origin story haunts and inextricably shapes contemporary American life, while asking how we might weather coming storms better together.
Director
Sasha Wortzel
Producer
Danielle Varga, Sasha Wortzel
Production Co
Walking Productions, Subtropic Films
Genre
Documentary, Nature
Original Language
English
Runtime
1h 23m