A River Between Us

A RIVER BETWEEN US documents the largest river restoration project in American history. In 1918 the Klamath River, which flows nearly 300 miles from southern Oregon to northern California, saw its first dam. The development sparked fighting between farmers, native tribes and environmental activists over rights to the river. The feuding continued for generations, and as a result, bad blood polluted the many communities served by the river. The film examines the long, complicated history of this conflict, revealing how anger, fear and distrust have undermined the Klamath's communities for decades.

Balancing the sheer beauty of the river with its under-the-surface ills of injustice and inequality, the film focuses on the personal stories of a group of individuals who finally choose to put the past behind them and come together to create a historic water rights compromise for the good of all (including the river's decimated population of salmon). Most importantly, the documentary provides the solution to ending this generations-old conflict: In order to save a river, you must first heal a people.