Indiana Humanities Film Project
Each of these films has served as an opportunity for local filmmakers to share stories that invite Hoosiers to think about the human experience. These projects have been screened for communal consideration and are now available for streaming here on our website. We hope you enjoy thinking, watching, and talking about these thought-provoking stories and compelling ideas as much as we have.
Waterways Films
Water Scouts
by Anna Zanoni and Turner Fair
Girl Scout Troop #2715 is on a mission to help create their neighborhood’s first nature preserve, but they can’t do it alone. This short follows the troop as they explore, learn, and team up with others in their community to help save the land from development.
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Land Val · ues
By Johnny Klemme and Ben Massie
Land Val · ues artfully weaves the beauty of the land, a cast of memorable characters, and a community that honors tradition, values hard work, and respects the land.
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Cast Out
by Will Wertz
Cast Out gazes into the rippling waters which Indianapolis straddles. This short film reflects the seasonal cycles in the city. It explores conservational and consumptive fishing on the White River watershed.
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Hellbender in the Blue
by Katelyn Calhoun
From New York to Appalachia, the two-foot-long Eastern hellbender salamander is an indicator species of our river health. The population has declined noticeably since the early 1980s. Taking place in the Blue River watershed of Southern Indiana, the short film Hellbender in the Blue shares the story of a state-wide effort of improving the environment for our slimy friend and the water for us all.
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Calumet: The Region's River
by Samuel Love and Raymar Brunson
Calumet: The Region’s River is a video journey into the industrialized heart of the Calumet watershed in Indiana, along the branches, canals, and wetlands of the Calumet River system. Gary artists Samuel Love and Raymar Brunson travel along the Calumet, exploring how the very heart of the watershed was turned into a barrier between classes and races – and the consequences for communities near the river today.
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The Net Makers
By Hannah Lindgren
In rural Southern Indiana, two men carry on the tradition of crafting hoop nets and commercially fishing in the White and Wabash Rivers. Despite the threat of invasive species, climate change impacts, and the shifting dynamics of commercial fishing and social norms, Larry and Danny spend countless hours hand-tying thousands of knots to create the intricate hoop nets used in the area since the Great Depression. While they take their own approaches to craft their nets, both recognize the precarious state of this tradition and hope that the culture of hoopnet-making will be picked up by future generations before it becomes lost to time.
Stream onINseparable Films
The Earthkeepers
by Mitch Teplitsky and Gabriel Lantz
In southern Indiana, a married couple decide to leave academia to start a composting business—employing
ex-offenders along the way. Now they’re on a mission to avert a looming waste crisis in Indiana, and beyond.
From Sundown to Sunrise
By Pat Wisniewski and Tom Desch
Trace one man’s journey from sundown to sunrise as he and his family integrate an all-white Indiana town in 1968. By breaking the color barrier, they also helped transform the town and place it on a trajectory of inclusion.
In this film, you’ll hear the use of racial epithets as people recall incidents from their past. These slurs are not censored and of course may be very difficult for you to hear. Thank you for your generosity of spirit as you listen and participate in the viewing of this film.
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Hometown Media
by Ryan Gleeson
Follow a week in the life of a small-town newspaper in Wayne County, Indiana, for a look at how rural journalism is practiced today and why it matters.
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Raised in Contrast
by Chad Perdue
A look at the experiences of mixed-race and non-white Hoosiers who live in rural and suburban communities.
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Larry from Gary
by Dan Rybicky
A dedicated dance teacher continues working with and inspiring his current and former students even after learning the nationally recognized arts high school in Gary, Indiana where he has taught for decades is being closed by the state.
Stream onNext Indiana Campfires Films
Braided with the Current
"Braided with the Current" by Katelyn Calhoun and Hannah Hodges looks at some of the historical uses of the river then spends time with young people who live on the river and/or who study its environmental conditions. Through the characters in the film, we learn about some of the factors impacting the White River’s health. In addition to stops in Indianapolis and Hamilton County, we spend a significant amount of time with people who live and work on clean up efforts in the Muncie area
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Onward Ever: The Becoming of Indiana's White River
"Onward Ever: The Becoming of Indiana’s White River" by Brandon Walsh focuses on nine people in Indianapolis who, in some way, work on the White River. Each shares why he or she is inspired by the river and what he or she hopes for its future. The film features particularly stunning photography and views of the river and the city.
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White River: Perspectives
"White River: Perspectives" by Hannah Lindgren focuses on three people who offer unique insights into the value of the White River. Among the three films, this one spends the most time considering the effects of agriculture on the White River and the steps that people can take to practice water-friendly farming. This film features scenes in Broad Ripple and Noblesville as well as farmland in Hendricks County.
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Waterways Films Trailer
Indiana Humanities is excited to bring these films to Hoosiers across the state. The films will be screened at in nine communities throughout the state in the spring and summer of 2022.
See the trailer
Indiana Humanities to host Waterways Film Tour
Indiana Humanities will host a nine-city film tour featuring six short documentary films about Indiana’s waterways.
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