'Freshwater' among documentaries featured in Water Works Park's first DocuSeries

Isaac Hamlet, Des Moines Register
·4 min read

Since Ian Planchon moved from central Iowa to Minnesota, he's had time to learn about lakes. Specifically the largest lake in the nation, Lake Superior.

“Right now it's one of the fastest warming freshwater bodies of water in the world," said Planchon, one of the directors of the documentary, "Freshwater." "That’s really bad because Lake Superior is 10% of the world’s fresh water.”

On Saturday, Sept. 24, at 7:30 p.m., the 50-minute long documentary will be shown on the Killinger Family Stage at Des Moines' Water Works Park, 2201 George Flagg Pkwy., as the final film in a new festival dubbed DocuSeries that launched in early September. The event is free to attend with popcorn provided with food and drinks to purchase on site.

"Our mission was not just to enhance the park… but to use that platform to educate the public about water quality and quality of life," said Sam Carrell, the executive director at the Water Works Park Foundation.

Ian Planchon, owner of 515 Productions, pictured in his Clive studio, served as a primary cinematographer for “Any Sunday, The Next Chapter,” a documentary on the culture of motorcycle riding.
Ian Planchon, owner of 515 Productions, pictured in his Clive studio, served as a primary cinematographer for “Any Sunday, The Next Chapter,” a documentary on the culture of motorcycle riding.

This new DocuSeries began to take shape after the Water Works Park Foundation partnered with Practical Farmers of Iowa to screen "Livestock on the Land" last year. That film also kicked off the docuseries this year on Sept. 8, but the initial screening got organizers at Water Works considering showing other films that further the organization's goals of education, conservation and recreation.

These three topics are front and center in the "Freshwater" documentary, which is largely set in Duluth, Minnesota, using the location, and the surfing that takes place there, to springboard into topics of conservation.

A shot of a surfer going into the waters of Lake Superior, shot for the documentary "Freshwater."
A shot of a surfer going into the waters of Lake Superior, shot for the documentary "Freshwater."

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Before moving, Planchon and 515 were principally based in Iowa. While here, Planchon mainly shot sports footage for projects like "On Any Sunday, The Next Chapter," a motorcycle documentary.

Had it not been for the COVID-19 pandemic, it's likely "Freshwater" would likewise have been a film purely about the freshwater athletes who surf Lake Superior.

“We initially started the project, it was just going to be an action sports film that was beautiful waves and cool surfing, but then COVID hit… so we had to stop for a while, during that process we really had to suss out all of these storylines," Planchon said.

The team started to dive deeper. Their research informed them on the mechanics of surfing in Lake Superior — like the gear needed for freshwater surfing compared to ocean surfing and the fact it's easier to drown in freshwater than saltwater — alongside other figures.

“Duluth, in the next 10 years, is going to be a climate refuge," said Planchon, alluding to Harvard lecturer Jesse Kennan's estimations. "It’s not 100 degrees (to) 120 in the summer and there’s a freshwater source.”

Filming takes place for "Freshwater," a documentary from 515 Productions.
Filming takes place for "Freshwater," a documentary from 515 Productions.

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Though Lake Superior is often cited as the cleanest of the Great Lakes, drinkability is threatened by contaminants. While drinkability doesn't correlate with the quality of the waves themselves, preservation is still a point of interest for those who ride the waves.

"As it warms and as algae blooms and microplastics creep in there… it doesn’t really affect the surfing," Planchon said. "(But the surfers) want to protect it because it’s their pride and joy.”

Once "Freshwater" wraps up this year's Water Works DocuSeries, the organization will look forward to continue bringing various documentaries to the area in future years.

"The sky’s kind of the limit as long as there’s some tie back to the quality of life issue," Carrell said.

On Thursday night at 8 p.m., Water Works DocuSeries will screen "River to the Heart," a 2017 documentary about a man traveling down the Mississippi River starting from Minnesota in a canoe.

Those planning to attend any of these screenings are encouraged to bring blankets or chairs to the event. More information about this DocuSeries can be found through the Water Works Park website, dsmwaterworkspark.com.

More on the "Freshwater" documentary, as well as an abridged version of the documentary, can be found at 515productions.com.

Isaac Hamlet covers arts, entertainment and culture at the Des Moines Register. Reach him at ihamlet@gannett.com or 319-600-2124, follow him on Twitter @IsaacHamlet.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: 'Freshwater' documentary plays at Water Works Park's free event Sept. 24