EVERYBODY LIVES DOWNSTREAM surveys the natural and constructed landscapes and life within the floodplain and last six miles of the Buffalo River - where the river has been deepened and straightened to enable industry.  An eco-historical moving image document, EVERYBODY LIVES DOWNSTREAM presents historical and anecdotal accounts that examine the health of the river, remedial dredging operations (a pilot project for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative) and the Confined Disposal Facilities (CDFs) that house the river’s pollutant saturated sediments at Lake Erie’s edge.

The video asks its audience to contemplate some fundamental questions. What environmental and social issues arise as communities remediate, restore, and re-develop the land? At what benefit and cost do these changes come and how long will the effects endure? What motives are fueling the rekindled interest in water as a universal resource, a cultural referent, a recreational space, and economic stimulant? The economy of the Great Lakes Regional ‘Megalopolis’ is the fourth largest in the world and produces 15 percent of the world’s greenhouse gasses. What role do cities like Buffalo play in its future?  What lies beneath the surface of the Great Lakes and what does it tell us about life on land?

EVERYBODY LIVES DOWNSTREAM invites stakeholders to express their point of view while the camera immerses the audience in the sensual experience of the environment.

Funded in part through the generous support from the Mark Diamond Research Fund and Nathan Cummings Foundation (via Channels: Stories from the Niagara Frontier).

Watch the Channels cut here.