DamNation

by Stoecker, Matt; Rummel, Travis; Knight, Ben; Calhoun, Beda; Chouinard, Yvon

• ISBN13: 9781938340376
• ISBN10: 193834037X
• Edition: DVD
• Format: DVD
• Copyright: 2014-08-19
• Publisher: Patagonia

Summary

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.

Author Biography

Matt Stoecker is a biologist and photographer focused on restoring rivers and wild fish populations through his company Stoecker Ecological. Matt has produced or provided underwater footage for numerous documentary films. He lives in Ventura, CA.

Over the past ten years Travis Rummel has honed his filmmaking craft. In 2007, he and Ben Knight released Red Gold, their first feature documentary, to critical acclaim and helped create awareness of the proposed Pebble Mine in Alaska’s Bristol Bay. He lives in Denver, CO.

Ben Knight, along with Travis Rummel, own a small production company called Felt Soul Media. They produce documentaries about fly fishing, the health of river systems, and dam removal. He lives in Telluride, CO.

Beda Calhoun is the founder of brick+mortar productions, a Colorado-based marketing and production company that plans and executes release campaigns in partnership with filmmakers and brands. For the past three years, Beda’s focus has been on DamNation and its distribution strategy and marketing. She lives in Denver, CO.

Yvon Chouinard, a noted fly fisherman (chosen by Fly, Rod, and Reel as Angler of the Year in 2009) and environmentalist, is the founder and owner of Patagonia, Inc. He co-founded 1 Percent for The Planet, a group of businesses giving back to the environment, as well as World Trout. He lives in Ventura, CA.