24th Annual Woodstock Film Festival

Down by the Riverside

Expired October 2, 2023 3:59 AM
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ABOUT THE FILM: “If there’s hope for the human race, there’s hope for the Hudson.” —Pete Seeger

In the summer of 1969, legendary folk singer Pete Seeger launched the Clearwater, a 19th-century-style sloop with a singing crew of musicians and activists. His intention was to raise awareness of pollution in the Hudson River and to petition legislation that addressed the then-burgeoning climate crisis. Over 50 years later, the Clearwater remains an interactive environmental classroom—or, in its builder’s words, “a carnival, museum, and showboat all wrapped into one.” Featuring rare interviews with Seeger himself, Down by the Riverside is a beautiful, stirring tribute to the communities of people who continue to restore and preserve this elegant symbol of the Hudson Valley. As a local story of local heroism, this documentary is an inspiring reminder of all that can be accomplished when ordinary people work on behalf of their history and environment. —Ben Rendich


ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS:

Jodie Childers is a visiting assistant professor at Tulane University who produced The Other Parade, which aired on RTÉ and whose research has been published in Boulevard, The Hopkins Review, Jacobin, Transatlantica, and The Woody Guthrie Annual, among others. She holds a PhD from UMass Amherst.

 

Dan Messina is a director and executive producer with over 15 years of experience in nonfiction film and television. He directed The Other Parade, which aired on RTÉ and screened at Frameline, and has served as a show-runner, producer, and editor for series on A&E, Oxygen, National Geographic, Investigation Discovery, and OWN.

  • Year
    2023
  • Runtime
    85 minutes
  • Language
    English
  • Country
    United States
  • Premiere
    World Premiere
  • Genre
    Documentary
  • Director
    Jodie Childers, Dan Messina
  • Executive Producer
    Jodie Childers, Dan Messina
  • Cast
    Pete Seeger, Toshi Seeger, Jimmy Collier, Gordon Bok, Allan Aunapu
  • Cinematographer
    Jodie Childers, Dan Messina
  • Editor
    Dan Messina
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