Columbia River and familiar faces star in free film screenings March 13

“Roll On, Columbia,” a free public program of inspiring short documentaries starring the Columbia River will take place on March 13. Three of the films were written and produced in Clatsop County and feature local fishermen, business people, students, and others. The films are “Work Is Our Joy,” “Crossroads on the Columbia ... Oregon Confronts America's Energy Future,” “In Their Footsteps,” and “Pipe Dream.” The movies begin at 2 p.m. at the Columbian Theater at 1102 Marine Drive in Astoria. Doors will open at 1:30 p.m.

“We’re delighted to present these remarkable and moving stories about the people, places, and traditions that make the Columbia River worth protecting,” said Laurie Caplan, one of the event’s organizers. “Roll On, Columbia” is sponsored by Columbia Pacific Common Sense, a local grassroots group working to stop the proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals and pipelines at Bradwood and on the Skipanon in Warrenton.

“Work Is Our Joy,” is a 30-minute history of drift gillnetting on the Columbia River with interviews with local fisherman create a personal history of generations of fishermen, the canneries, and the river. It was written by Irene Martin, who has been writing about the Columbia River fishery for more than three decades. Jim Bergeron was the project director. The film was made in 1989 as a project of Oregon State University Extension Sea Grant and the Columbia River Maritime Museum, Astoria.

“Crossroads on the Columbia ... Oregon Confronts America's Energy Future” is a 20-minute documentary that features bird’s-eye views of the Columbia River and chronicles the determination to save the Columbia River and its estuary from the controversial LNG projects. Following its official premiere a year ago in Astoria, “Crossroads” was selected as the Best Environmental Short Documentary Film in the Santa Cruz Film Festival and toured the US as part of the Patagonia Wild & Scenic Film Festival throughout 2009. It has been shown at other regional and national film festivals.

“In Their Footsteps” provides a history of the riches of the estuary and its people. It includes scenes of horse seining, Fort Clatsop, the 1922 Astoria fire, the canneries, and more. The film has been shown at the Columbia River Maritime Museum and at local elementary schools, but this is probably its first theater screening, according to producer Scott Holmstedt.

Students at Astoria High School wrote and produced this 20-minute film in 1999. At that time, Holmsted was a teacher and technical staff person with the Astoria School District.

“Pipe Dream” focuses on the pipelines proposed to go from the proposed LNG terminals through Oregon to connect to existing pipelines to California including interviews with LNG advocates and with farmers, ranchers, vintners, and others who oppose the proposed LNG terminals and pipelines.

Special guests will include Martin and Jack Marincovich, a long-time fisherman featured in two of the films. Speaking briefly will be Olivia Schmidt, of Columbia Riverkeeper, and Donna Quinn, who wrote and produced “Crossroads” with Eugene filmmaker, Spence Palermo. A scale model of the proposed Oregon LNG terminal will be displayed at the theater that afternoon. For more information about the event, contact Laurie Caplan at 503-338-6508.