There is an upcoming special event screening on January 20th of the new feature-length documentary AMERICAN RIVER based on Mary’s book An American River: from Paradise to Superfund. 

“A fantastic voyage through America’s past and present, from its breathtaking unspoiled beginnings to its growth as an industrial power — all along a frequently overlooked river.”  — Bill Westhoven, USA Today writer

Tickets for the NJPAC event are only FIVE DOLLARS! to help make it accessible to all.  

AMERICAN RIVER

Screening and Conversation with director Scott Morris and Mary Bruno

NJPAC

Friday, January 20, 2023

7:00 PM

Prudential Hall

Betty Wold Johnson Stage

Tickets & Info - https://www.njpac.org/event/american-river/

Filmed in highly cinematic 4k from land, water and air, AMERICAN RIVER follows Mary Bruno and river guide Carl Alderson as they paddle the mighty Passaic to tell the story of the river’s rich history, one of New Jersey’s best kept secrets. Its power fueled a manufacturing boom that helped the fledgling United State win its economic independence from Britain. Artists immortalized the river’s beauty in paintings and verse. The wealthy built mansions along its scenic banks. When industry took its toxic tool, generations turned their backs on this mighty waterway. Abused and neglected, its lower stretch one of the country’s most toxic EPA Superfund sites, the river seemed forgotten.  Until now. With breathtaking cinematography and an effervescent group of on-camera personalties led by Mary Bruno, AMERICAN RIVER rescues the Passaic’s story even as activists reclaim its ecology. Part natural history, part personal history, part nautical adventure, part legal thriller, this film takes viewers on a paddling adventure down the river that built America.  They journey will change you. 

WEBSITE & TRAILER - AmericanRiver.film