EPIC Screening of
Patagonia Rising Puts Removal of Klamath River Dams in a Global Context.
At 7 PM on Tuesday, October 11, at the Arcata Theater Lounge (1o36 G Street, Arcata), EPIC will be proud to host a screening of the documentary film Patagonia Rising. This film describes the efforts of communities in Chile to protect the wildest rivers in the Patagonia region from mega-hydroelectric development, and their realistic vision for sustainable alternatives.
This compelling film is particularly relevant in Northwest California due to the public comment period that is currently underway on the Draft Plan for the removal of 4 obsolete and destructive dams on the Klamath River. As communities in California work to fulfill the promise of an agreement to decommission dams and begin to restore the long-abused Klamath, people all around the world are struggling to defend their still free-flowing rivers from large dams. This global dynamic is essential to understanding this historic moment for the rivers in our region.
Come out to the Arcata Theater Lounge at 7 PM on October 11 to see an amazing documentary film that recounts a story that the filmmakers decided was “too important not to tell.” Patagonia Rising is an independent documentary that explores the perspective of families along the Baker River in Chile’s Patagonia whose way of life is threatened by a proposal to build a series of giant dams that, if built, would forever change the landscape and the culture of this wilderness refuge.
We at EPIC have chosen to host this film because we believe that a global perspective on the costs of the hydropower industry can assist in understanding the importance of public participation in the plan to remove dams from the Klamath River. This film screening on October 11 launches several weeks of activities around the Klamath dam removal plan. EPIC is one of several organizations participating in a “teach-in” event that is scheduled for 6:30 PM on October 19 at the Wharfinger Building in Eureka. As well, a series of public hearings on the Klamath dam removal will be hosted by the Department of Interior, including a hearing on October 26 at the Arcata Community Center in Arcata.
Come out to this film on October 11 to learn of what is at stake in one of our planet’s iconic struggles over natural resources, and what it means for us at home in Northwest California.
For background on the Klamath Dams Removal Plan listen to the most recent version of the EPIC Edition of the KMUD Environment Show where EPIC’s Gary Graham Hughes interviews Felice Pace, Klamath resident and author of the “Klamblog” (klamblog.blogspot.com).
See the trailer here:
Patagonia Rising from Brian Lilla on Vimeo: http://patagoniarising.com/trailer