REVIEW: New QC environmental film moving, inspiring

At the Quad Cities premiere of Fourth Wall Films’ latest documentary this past weekend, I was moved by “Moved by Waters,” and that’s the whole point.

The Emmy-winning, veteran Moline-based filmmakers have an unerring, deeply satisfying ability to produce educational, insightful, inspiring, and beautiful Midwestern stories that – most importantly – make you care and make you feel about their subject.

And regardless of their subject matter (be it country schools, barns, Native Americans, Hero Street or 19h-century debates on slavery), Kelly and Tammy Rundle are dependably sensitive and compassionate, and consistently reveal gentle, relaxing scenes of their natural surroundings. You really get to appreciate the sights and sounds of a place, even if they are fleeting glances.

On Saturday, Jan. 27, the lucky crowd at the Putnam’s Giant Screen Theater got to see how the Rundles have trained their lens on the need for environmental and wildlife protection over the past four years.

Director Kelly Rundle quoted a Native American saying before showing the 28-minute “Moved by Waters” (preceded by the shorter docs “Over & Under: Wildlife Crossings” and “Places To Be Wild”) – “Water is life.”

Growing up in the QC, he said he always took the Mississippi River for granted, and I’m sure many still do. “It was kind of an obstacle between SouthPark and NorthPark,” Rundle said of the malls in Moline and Davenport.

Just before he and Tammy moved to Los Angeles (for a quarter century) in 1983, he realized he was “living next to one of the great rivers of the world.”

All three of the enlightening films shown Saturday center on the theme of environmental protection, and how crucial it is for everyone to try and do their part, no matter how small.

“Moved by Waters” (which took a year to film, edit and produce) reflects the large network of people and organizations working toward improved water quality in the massive Upper Mississippi watershed.

The vital, dedicated groups featured in this wonderful film are Partners of Scott County Watersheds, Augustana College–Upper Mississippi Center, City of Davenport, Quad City Arts, River Action, Quad City Conservation Alliance Wetlands Center, Nahant Marsh Education Center, Scott County Conservation, Wapsi River Environmental Education Center, and Living Lands & Waters.

“Ultimately, we need clean water to survive,” Amy Kay — Clean Water Manager for the city of Davenport – says in the new film. “Not to be too doomsday-esque, but if we can’t work together for something that we need to survive, we’re in big trouble.”

How is water quality monitored and evaluated? Is water pollution an urban or rural challenge? How does water quality affect wildlife and their habitat? We all need water that is clean and safe to drink, and the people and projects in “Moved by Waters” model a way forward that benefits people, and the environment.

“Every creature great or small has an intrinsic, innate value in and of itself. Mother Nature doesn’t need us, but we need Mother Nature,” Dave Murcia — Director/Naturalist at the Wapsi Environmental Education Center – says in the film. “So when it comes down to clean water specifically, we are the one animal on this planet that pollutes its own environment.”

“When we get to talk conservation and water quality, I get real excited, because it’s such an area that has changed in my lifetime and I’ve been a part of it,” says Davenport farmer Robb Ewoldt, former president of the Iowa Soybean Association.

“I’m a sixth-generation farmer,” Mike Paustian — board chair of Partners of Scott County Watersheds – says in the film. “My grandfather and my father spent a lot of time trying to make improvements to the farm and minimize the impact on the environment. And now it’s my turn to care for the farm and make sure it’s in good shape for the next generation.”

Panel with those featured

After the film (shot all over the QC on both sides of the river), the Rundles hosted several of those people featured in an interesting panel discussion – including Paustian, Ewoldt, Kay, Murcia, River Action executive director Kathy Wine, Augustana’s Upper Mississippi Center director Michael Reisner, and Living Lands & Waters vice president Dan Breidenstein.

River Action’s annual Eddy awards recognize the extraordinary work and advocacy being done in the region. Wine noted one of the winners was farmer Robb Ewoldt, in 2018 with his wife Jennifer for best management practices in agriculture.

“If I can lead by example, and bring my peers along,” Ewoldt said Saturday. “Farmers tend to be stubborn sometimes and not necessarily open to newer practices. But when you prove to them the economics of it, and the benefits to it, I think that’s what helps open that door to other farmers to try to get them to change.”

“I want our ground we operate on to be in a better way, healthier, than when I received it from my father,” he said. “We try to do it in the best way we can, the most environmentally friendly way we can.”

Mike Paustian of Partners of Scott County Watersheds spoke of how energizing it is to be around people who truly want to make a difference.

“We’re educating and we’re working on cleanups, but we’re also collecting data – to see, are we making a difference?” he said Saturday. “I think that’s a fun way to try to improve things. We can provide people with actual information. It’s easy to say things are terrible, just getting worse. But it may not be as bad as you think.”

“If we all work together on this, we can make more improvements,” Paustian said.

Farmers in Scott County will have access to $8 million in grant money from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to implement conservation practices aimed at improving water quality and soil health, preventing erosion and creating wildlife habitat, he noted.

The five-year grant was awarded last fall through collaborative efforts of Partners of Scott County Watersheds, a nonprofit dedicated to improving water quality and reducing flooding, and Ducks Unlimited, a Memphis-based nonprofit that operates nationwide to conserve habitats for waterfowl — habitats that also benefit other wildlife and people.

Dave Murcia reinforced the “Moved by Waters” message that all living things have innate value.

“It wasn’t until man came and started using this earth in a way that’s polluting it,” he said. “Who has the right to a clean stream? Is it us as humans, and there are many more animals, plants and insects – that outnumber us. Or is it their right to clean water? It just so happens to be us polluting the water much more than they are.”

“This earth doesn’t need us, but we certainly need this earth,” Murcia said.

Dan Breidenstein of Living Lands & Waters explained how his nonprofit (which cleans up 25 rivers in 21 states) works with students in a traveling barge, water-quality testing and picking up garbage.

“They’re laughing, they’re having fun, creating these memories with other students,” he said. “There’s this connection – it’s one of those things, once you see it happen, it’s magic.”

The Rundles earned their first Mid-America Emmy award in October 2021 for the short documentary “Over & Under: Wildlife Crossings,” in the Environmental/Science category. They have won a total of four regional Emmys so far.

Partnering with Putnam

Based on the introductory remarks Saturday, it is clear why Fourth Wall enjoys collaborating with the Putnam Museum to premiere many of their films — they have complementary missions.

They are both invaluable educational organizations and frequent partners that are devoted to exploring interactions between humans and the natural environment, particularly in the QC area.

Fourth Wall produced a number of videos for the Putnam’s updated regional history exhibit (which opened this past year), “Common Ground,” and the Putnam has for years shown stunning giant-screen movies on environmental and science themes.

The Putnam and Fourth Wall flicks all not only showcase subjects regarding environmental stewardship, but they typically offer concrete solutions on how people can help care for Mother Nature. They are visually impressive and emotionally cathartic expressions of the glories and challenges of the complex, fascinating world around us.

“Moved by Waters” also is a literal demonstration of “common ground” – how groups of people can work together to make a difference, regardless of their political affiliation, income level, race, age, education, gender, ethnic background or sexual orientation.

In these exhausting times of political polarization, the Rundles’ films show what can be accomplished if we are truly the “United States,” realizing the bonds we share are far stronger than the differences between us. We only have one earth and one life, and we’d best do our best to take care of them.

“Moved by Waters” will make its broadcast TV debut on (another frequent partner) WQPT PBS on Feb. 18 at 7 p.m. and Feb. 20 at 9:30 p.m.

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