"American River" is a new 86-minute documentary about a 4-day kayak journey down one of the nation's most beautiful and tragic waterways: New Jersey's Passaic River. The central character is Mary Bruno, who spent her childhood along one of the Passaic's most polluted stretches and returns decades later to rediscover the river of her youth and tell its story.

Under the direction of seasoned filmmaker Scott Morris, "American River" follows Ms. Bruno and river guide Carl Alderson as they kayak 80 miles from the Passaic's pristine headwaters to its toxic mouth in Newark Bay. The river's amazing history, geology and ecology are revealed as they navigate challenges, travel through urban landscapes and head towards the industrial disaster that poisoned the Passaic for the past 60 years.

Along the way, the filmmaker engages residents, historians and advocates in candid conversations that bring insight, urgency and a sense of wonder to the story. How did the Passaic become one of the most contaminated rivers in America? Can it be saved? The Passaic is an archetype for thousands of rivers across America facing similar reckonings.