River

Throughout history, rivers have shaped our landscapes and flowed through our cultures and dreams. This dynamic and monumental film takes the audience on a journey through space and time—spanning six continents and an astonishing 39 countries—and drawing on extraordinary cinematography, including satellite filming, to show rivers on a scale and perspective never-before seen. Its union of image, music, and a sparse, poetic script creates a film that is both dreamlike and powerful, honoring the wildness of rivers while also recognizing their vulnerability. River is the second installment, after 2017’s Mountain, in a planned trilogy that Jennifer Peedom (here with co-director Joseph Nizeti) has created in concert with the Australian Chamber Orchestra and perfectly cast narrator Willem Dafoe. It is a stunning cinematic experience, not unlike 1992’s legendary documentary Baraka (FFF 1993), that will leave you breathless and mesmerized by the natural wonders of our incredible world.