Filmmaker Steve Hamm To Present Documentary On Mill River

Press release from Hamden Library:

March 31, 2023

Miller Memorial Library 2901 Dixwell Ave. Hamden will present a screening of the 2021 documentary "A River Speaks," by local filmmaker and author Steve Hamm on Tuesday April 18th at 7 pm in the Thornton Wilder auditorium.

"A River Speaks" is an exploration of the Mill River, a small river in south-central Connecticut. Though Connecticut’s Mill River is only 13 miles long, it tells the whole story of humanity’s relationship with rivers. These amazing bodies are our sources of water for drinking and farming, our playgrounds, and our fishing holes. We travel on them. They provide feasts for our eyes and ears. And, finally, they are our sewers. We love them, but not nearly enough. More broadly, it is an examination of humanity's complex relationship with the rest of nature. We love our rivers, but we treat them terribly. We poison them with sewage, industrial waste, herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers. And when we poison our rivers, we poison ourselves.

"A River Speaks" is a beautiful, deeply bioregional film that weaves together the human and natural history of a watershed. It manages to be both a lyrical visual essay and a compelling, fact-filled narrative that is chock full of information about one of the principal watersheds in our bioregion. The film is an inspiration, a warning, and a call to action.

Director Steve Hamm will also present his book "The Pivot: Addressing Global Problems Through Local Action." Taken together, the book and movie are a call to action to do what we each can to fight climate change. He will have copies available for purchase.

The event is free and open to the public. Registration is required. Register online at www.hamdenlibrary.org (click on “Programs”) or call 203-287-2680.

This press release was produced by Hamden Library. The views expressed here are the author's own.