HEADWATERS DOWN: THE LOWER JAMES (HWD:TLJ) is a feature-length documentary that follows five friends as they attempt to finish a multi-year project: exploring every inch of Virginia’s James River, one of the most consequential waterways in North American history. Two threads run the length of this story, one being the unique history of the river and the other being the way the river affects and changes these five friends. With equipment in tow, the voyage begins in their hometown of Richmond, Virginia and continues 110 miles to the Chesapeake Bay. While new insights lie around every bend, the project meditates on several key markers along the river as they crew experiences them in real time: the site of the Kepone Chemical Disaster, among the very worst in American history; the Battle of Fort Pocahontas, one of many long forgotten and underrepresented battles of the United States Colored Troops during the Civil War; and Jamestown, where a new complex story is being uncovered as climate change and sea level rise are already wiping it away. As the group encounters various struggles on their journey, they are reminded of the river’s profound resilience and its patient march through time. HWD:TLJ strives to share the knowledge of the river by weaving nature’s beauty, human impact, history, and climate change into the story of this crew’s journey down the James – a local resource in their own backyard.

Co-Director | Justin Black
Co-Director | Will Gemma
Co-Director | Dietrich Teschner
Website | Headwatersdown.com
Instagram | Instagram.com/headwatersdown