A documentary about the Gila River and three teens who lost their lives while trying to protect it is now making its way across New Mexico, as their mothers strive to keep the river free-flowing.Patrice Mutchnick and two other mothers are the heart of “Journey Down the Gila,” a documentary that follows them down the river their children loved. Mutchnick explained that the idea was simple and powerful: if their kids can’t tell this story anymore, their moms will.”It was the filmmaker’s idea that we should take the mother’s journey. And that the mothers would take this journey because it’s us that are carrying on the hope that our children had,” Mutchnick said.Mutchnick’s daughter, Ella Kirk, cared for the river, even at an early age.”She was always passionate about water and loving being around water and swimming in it and playing in it and had a real sense of urgency about protection of watersheds,” Mutchnick said.In 2014, Kirk and two other teens, Michael Mahl and Ella Myers, were on a plane headed out to monitor areas around the Gila. The plane crashed, killing all three teens, along with the pilot.Now, Mutchnick says this film is one way to make sure their work and their voices didn’t end that day. “We carried our children’s messages on this film to take the length of the wilderness portion of the Gila River and show the beauty and inspire others. That they can protect, they can do something as well to protect the places they love, that our children could no longer have the voice to protect the places they love,” she said.The film isn’t available online or for purchase, but there will be showings in Santa Fe at the Center for Contemporary Arts on March 19th and 20th, in Los Alamos on March 18th, and in Las Vegas. All tickets can be found here.
A documentary about the Gila River and three teens who lost their lives while trying to protect it is now making its way across New Mexico, as their mothers strive to keep the river free-flowing.
Patrice Mutchnick and two other mothers are the heart of “Journey Down the Gila,” a documentary that follows them down the river their children loved. Mutchnick explained that the idea was simple and powerful: if their kids can’t tell this story anymore, their moms will.
“It was the filmmaker’s idea that we should take the mother’s journey. And that the mothers would take this journey because it’s us that are carrying on the hope that our children had,” Mutchnick said.
Mutchnick’s daughter, Ella Kirk, cared for the river, even at an early age.
“She was always passionate about water and loving being around water and swimming in it and playing in it and had a real sense of urgency about protection of watersheds,” Mutchnick said.
In 2014, Kirk and two other teens, Michael Mahl and Ella Myers, were on a plane headed out to monitor areas around the Gila. The plane crashed, killing all three teens, along with the pilot.
Now, Mutchnick says this film is one way to make sure their work and their voices didn’t end that day.
“We carried our children’s messages on this film to take the length of the wilderness portion of the Gila River and show the beauty and inspire others. That they can protect, they can do something as well to protect the places they love, that our children could no longer have the voice to protect the places they love,” she said.
The film isn’t available online or for purchase, but there will be showings in Santa Fe at the Center for Contemporary Arts on March 19th and 20th, in Los Alamos on March 18th, and in Las Vegas. All tickets can be found here.
