Community Resiliency Film Series: Critical Issues of Our Times

Stevenson Grange #121’s 2019 “Critical Issues Of Our Times” film series will feature five documentaries.  Part of the Grange’s Community Resiliency programs, all the films feature the central theme of community. Each film will be shown on a Saturday, starting at 10:30 am until Noon, with group discussions to follow.  Participants are invited to bring a brown bag lunch.

“DamNation”

This powerful film odyssey across America explores the sea change in our national 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. Where obsolete dams come down, rivers bound back to life, giving salmon and other wild fish the right of return to primeval spawning grounds, after decades without access.  “DamNation’s” majestic cinematography and unexpected discoveries move through rivers and landscapes altered by dams, but also through a metamorphosis in values, from conquest of the natural world to knowing ourselves as part of nature.  The film highlights other dam removal stories, including the Elwha and White Salmon Rivers in Washington, the Rogue River in Oregon, and the Penobscot River in Maine. Diverse interests across the country are coming together to remove obsolete dams and find more cost-effective options to meet power, shipping, irrigation and other needs, while helping to restore rivers, preserve tribal customs, recover fish stocks, revitalize waterfronts, improve recreational opportunities and render watersheds more resilient to climate change.

All Community Resiliency Programs are co-sponsored by the Stevenson Community Library and Stevenson Grange #121.