Drowned Land
The Choctaw Nation of southeastern Oklahoma fights against cultural displacement and the developers who wish to dam and divert the Kiamichi River, one of the most ecologically diverse bodies of water in the state, in this call to action from SIFF 4th World Media Lab alum Colleen Thurston.
Director Colleen Thurston scheduled to attend.
Tickets
Select showtime for pricing and tickets.
Friday, May 16, 2025
- Limited Availability
- On Standby
- Matinee
Tuesday, May 20, 2025
- Limited Availability
- On Standby
- Matinee
Monday, May 26 - Sunday, June 1, 2025
- Limited Availability
- On Standby
- Matinee
*Restricted to audiences in WA State.
Drowned Land documents the ebb and flow of the Kiamichi River in southeastern Oklahoma, witnessing the river’s life-giving fertility through the seasons and the detrimental impact caused by damming and development projects. First-time director and 4th World Media Lab alum Colleen Thurston nimbly weaves the narrative of the Kiamichi with the effects of her grandfather's work designing dams for the Army Corps of Engineers, her tribe’s ongoing struggles with resource exploitation, and how it shapes her reconciliation of the past with the present. The film visually realizes the vibrancy of both the river and its protectors as they fight against the continuous cycle of land theft, commodification, and displacement that began with the Trail of Tears. Now, in a region in which the community relies on the Kiamichi’s ecosystem for subsistence, taking the water out of the watershed could mean yet another relocation.
- Director: Colleen Thurston (Choctaw Nation)
- Principal Cast: Charlotte Leonard, Sandra Stroud, Lauren Haygood, Kenneth Roberts, Johnna Thurston
- Country: USA
- Year: 2025
- Running Time: 86 min.
- Producer: Colleen Thurston, Michelle Svenson
- Cinematographers: Charles Elmore
- Editors: Gloria Shade, Janna Kyllastinen, Zach Litwack
- Music: Samantha Crain
- Website: Official Film Website
- Filmography: Debut Feature Film
- Language: English
- Format: DCP
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