NATURE . WILDLIFE

The Mighty Colorado

52' (ENG, GER), 107' (ENG)

In the American Southwest, water shapes the rhythm of life.

The Colorado River links mountains, canyons, and deserts into a natural world rich with wildlife and unique habitats. Wildlife filmmaker Ben Masters follows its course from the Never Summer Mountains down into the dry lowlands. High in the peaks, the autumn rut of Rocky Mountain elk defines the season, while beavers create wetlands with their dams, storing water and reshaping entire landscapes. Trout migrate toward their spawning grounds, and with the hatching of giant salmonflies, an ancient natural spectacle rises from the river. Further south, at the base of the Vermillion Cliffs, a young California condor is growing up. At the same time, the film reveals how strongly human intervention is altering the Colorado River, creating a quiet conflict between wilderness and human demand.