About the film

"Whiskey is for drinking, water is for fighting."

— Mark Twain

Requiem for a River explores the New Mexico stretch of the Rio Grande — an iconic but endangered American waterway. Through lyrical imagery and in-depth interviews with a diverse range of residents, the film reveals the once-mighty river's role as a lifeline in the desert and asks whether the keys to a more sustainable, equitable future lie in New Mexico's pre-American past.

The Rio Grande's story is one that faces river communities throughout the western US amid growing climate instability, a reckoning for social justice, and the over-allocation and privatization of a vital, limited resource. The film takes viewers deep into the daily experiences of people whose lives, cultures, and futures are all tied to the river, while exploring the environmental and human costs of efforts to harness the great rivers of the West for agricultural and municipal growth.