The Mighty River

Winner of several awards and nominated for an Academy Award in 1993, the latest animated film from Frèdèric Back--who created the legendary The Man Who Planted Trees--is a breathtakingly beautiful meditation on the past, present, and questionable future of Quebec's St. Lawrence River. Narrated by Donald Sutherland, Back's cinematic swirl of pastel colors recreates the pristine days of the river when Native Americans fished its waters. With the coming of the French and later the British, larger settlements grew up along the river's edge. Indigent animals were trapped and killed by fur traders, while walrus were slaughtered for their tusks, and whale for oil and blubber. With the growth of paper mills during the Industrial Revolution, the river discovered a new and most unwelcome task: as a receptacle for waste products. Today, the river is at the mercy of cities, ships, and factories. If the abuse continues, tomorrow the river will be useless. A wondrously animated film that combines Back's sharp eye and talent for portraying the interconnectedness within nature along with a sobering message. Highly recommended. (R. Pitman)