"A journey is a person in itself; no two are alike. And all plans, safeguards, policing, and coercion are fruitless. We find that after years of struggle that we do not take a trip; a trip takes us." -- John Steinbeck

Like a River is a short film that explores the metaphor "grief is like a river." 

Between 1998 and 2000, Erin McKnight paddled 9000 km across Canada to raise awareness about mental illness. What she didn't expect was how the expedition would bring up memories of her mother, who took her own life when Erin was nine years old. The river journey became a catalyst and useful metaphor for understanding her grief around her mother's death.

"This is a story about how the journeys we take can take us to a place that is not on any map.  Although it is my story, I believe it speaks to the universal experience of grief and our unique quest for identity and self-fulfillment. It's a story that will hopefully give people the courage to share their own stories, especially the ones that are the hardest to tell." - Erin McKnight Winner of the MITY Emerging Artist Award at the 2014 Dawson International Short Film Festival