Film Review: DamNation
By Amy Nelson
Come for the stunning imagery, stay for the equally compelling history of dams in America.
Produced by filmmaker Travis Rummel, biologist and photographer Matt Stoecker, and Patagonia founder, Yvon Chouinard, DamNation documents both the history of dam construction in America and the growing awakening of its impacts.
DamNation balances statistics with stories from a variety of viewpoints including dam operators, regulators, politicians, and activists. More than 75,000 dams over three feet tall currently obstruct America’s rivers. A vast majority of them were constructed between 1950 and 1970.
Economic recovery, flood control, hydroelectric power, and irrigation were often the primary drivers for their construction. Catastrophic failures endangering human life, decline of biodiversity, species loss, increasing awareness of the displacement of native populations, and under realized benefits have led a growing demand for their removal.
DamNation does not hold back in its use of gut-wrenching evidence of these impacts, like images of the Hetch Hetchy valley before and after construction of the O’Shaughnessy Dam.
Yet it conveys a hopeful message, subtly suggesting that we are on the brink of an enormous opportunity as so many of these structures are reaching the end of their design lives. The day-to-day cost of operation and maintenance, need for big ticket repairs, and risk to safety will only continue to increase with time.
As one joins the filmmakers on this journey, one can’t help but consider the questions it poses. What is the true cost of progress and achievement? Can and should we continue harness the power of nature? And ultimately, where should we go from here?
