It began with a book.
A friend had given senior Karen Barbee a copy of David James Duncan’s The River Why.
Once finished with the bestselling novel, Barbee set about securing a movie version, and the Internet revealed that an independent narrative feature film with the same name was making its way to a number of little festivals across the country. It had yet to be released to the masses.
“On a whim, I talked to Cooper Arbios [with Campus Films] to try to get it to campus. He suggested I call the producer and see, so I left a voicemail. She called the next day, down to earth and not at all pompous, and was prepared to say no. They don’t do that,” Barbee said. And now, “the producer is flying here, bringing the disc herself for a special preview screening. This will probably never happen again. We are super fortunate.”
Tickets for tonight’s combination lecture and screening will be sold at the door, free with a Puget Sound ID and six dollars for general admission.
Producer of The River Why Kristi Denton Cohen and River Network President’s Todd Ambs are slated to speak at 6 p.m. on the topic of ecology, with the movie (shown for one night only) to follow at 7 p.m.
As for a tidbit on what the audience will be seeing, from what Barbee understands: “It’s like Into the Wild but happy. Basically the main character, a fishing prodigy, leaves home for a cabin in Oregon. It’s part love story, part appreciation for nature.”
Showing rather than telling brings about the latter, according to Denton Cohen.
“Narrative films have a way of opening issues or causes to an audience that is not as obvious as documentaries. What we want to do is use the experience of the film to inspire the audience in a more subtle way,” she said. “There has been a common reaction from the audience about the beauty of the rivers. How can we motivate that audience to take the next step?”
Since the film is action oriented, Barbee met with geology and sustainability clubs to come up with an activity in the spirit of The River Why.
That way, students “come to appreciate the wilderness, and when voting issues come up, they are all the more inspired,” she said.
And so arose a Puget Creek clean-up, scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon April 9.
The event, as volunteer contact Emerson Sample explained, involves “getting all fitted up with boots and gloves and trash bags to go remove as much English Ivy as we can. This fits right in with the book, because it talks a lot about the majesty of natural waterways and how they can be important, nay crucial, in more ways than we imagine.”
Barbee is sure to serve as an inspiration for many. For those seeking to follow her lead, Barbee advises looking at all of the resources Puget Sound has to offer. Chances are, someone is going to want to go along for the ride.
“It was a great, small idea. I did meetings, and people ran with it. When that passion comes through, people will grab on,” Barbee concluded.