River of Grass

Play trailer

2:01

River of Grass

Oct 2025

1h 23m

Documentary

Nature

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

100%

Tomatometer

17 Reviews

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

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.

Robert Daniels

RogerEbert.com

Wortzel’s film is a clarion call to protect Florida’s greatest resource.

Mar 1, 2025

Full Review

Tina Kakadelis

Beyond the Cinerama Dome

Rivers of Grass is beguiling in its natural beauty and heavy on the soul when it addresses what humans have done to our planet. It’s a plea for conservation, one that existed long before Worztel’s camera started filming.

Nov 19, 2025

Full Review

Dave Giannini

InSession Film

River of Grass is both a travelogue and a call to action. Especially given our current political climate (one in which our planet is taking a terrifying back seat), its message could not be more important.

Rated: B+

Nov 3, 2025

Full Review

Alan French

Sunshine State Cineplex

Sasha Wortzel contextualizes her [Marjory Stoneman Douglas’] brilliant writings on the region with the world as it exists today. This allows River of Grass to not only speak to the timeless nature of Douglas’ words, but also her continued relevance.

Rated: 8/10

Oct 30, 2025

Full Review

Marya E. Gates

Cool People Have Feelings, Too. (Substack)

Wortzel weaves together Douglas’ writing, archival footage, present-day interviews with Miccosukee educator and activist Betty Osceola, and more to craft an poetic ode to her home and plea for conservation before it’s too late.

Oct 29, 2025

Full Review

Rubén Rosario

MiamiArtZine

River of Grass is a steel dandelion, a wistful look back that points the way forward. It jumps in with eyes wide open.

Oct 27, 2025

Full Review

Read all reviews

Stephen C

Real footage in 1 hour and 23 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Dubbed and subtitled in worldwide studios!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/17/25

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Sasha Wortzel

Director

Betty Osceola

Self

Sasha Wortzel

Writer

Danielle Varga

Producer

Sasha Wortzel

Producer

J. Bennett

Cinematographer

River of Grass: Trailer 1

2:01

View more videos

View more photos

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
Screenwriter: Sasha Wortzel
Distributor: Fourth Act Film
Production Co: Walking Productions, Subtropic Films
Genre: Documentary, Nature
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 17, 2025, Limited
Runtime: 1h 23m