Discover Documentaries: Featuring Cindy Meehl Films – First up “The River and The Wall”
Just as reading a good book or a complex diatribe warrants a good discussion, so too does watching a thought-provoking or issue oriented film. At a time when there seems to be a wealth of documentaries to stream, the Mark Twain Library is introducing “Discover Documentaries,” an ongoing program where community members can come together after watching a documentary on their own to discuss the film’s topic, context, significance and more. We’ll start by discussing three documentaries by award-winning director and producer, Cindy Meehl, of Cedar Creek Productions and get to meet the producer and some of her subjects.
“We are so fortunate to have someone as talented as Cindy living right here in Redding and are excited to be able to launch this documentary discussion group by having the executive producer herself lead the conversation,” said Mark Twain Library Adult Programs Coordinator Elaine Sanders.
The program kicks off on Tuesday, April 27th at 7:30pm with a virtual discussion of Meehl’s film The River and the Wall, which follows five friends on an immersive adventure through the unknown wilds of the Texas borderlands as they travel 1200 miles from El Paso to the Gulf of Mexico on horses, mountain bikes, and canoes. They set out to document the borderlands and explore the potential impacts of a wall on the natural environment, but as the wilderness gives way to the more populated and heavily trafficked Lower Rio Grande Valley, they come face-to-face with the human side of the immigration debate and enter uncharted emotional waters.
In this unique opportunity to learn about the art of creating a documentary, Meehl will be joined by Ben Masters who is the director and one of the characters in the film. Over the next several months, the Library will host a total of three such discussions after registrants view three of Cindy’s documentaries on their own time and meet virtually to discuss them with her and a special guest involved in each of the films. The River and The Wall is available to view free on Hoopla, which is available through the Mark Twain Library.
“I am thrilled to bring this film to the Mark Twain Library program! We premiered it at the awesome SXSW Film Festival in Austin, TX during the height of the border wall debate. The River and the Wall, directed by my friend Ben Masters, made quite an impression and won a top award there. The comment I heard most was often was, ‘I had no idea it was like that!’” said Meehl. “This film will explain a lot about the reality of building a border wall, what that would entail, and takes a look at both sides of the debate while watching a grand adventure. It is our mission, at Cedar Creek Productions, to tell inspiring and compelling stories that will educate, entertain and give people something to ponder. I have just signed onto my 11th film and, for me, it’s as exciting as the first!”
The next two documentaries that Meehl will join virtually to discuss include her latest film, The Dog Doc, about a special veterinarian and his approach to healing on June 22, 2021, and Rewind about family and abuse on September 14, 2021.
Cindy Meehl started her career in films in 2008 when she created Cedar Creek Productions and began work on her documentary feature Buck. The film was Meehl’s directorial debut and premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the festival’s U.S. Documentary Audience Award and was shortlisted for the 2011 Academy Award® – Best Documentary Feature. In addition to her directing, Meehl is a very involved executive producer on a range of critically acclaimed films including Rewind, The River and the Wall, For the Birds, Trapped, Unbranded and Dogs on the Inside. Over the course of her productive career, Meehl’s films have won numerous awards such as the Sundance Jury Prize for Social Impact Filmmaking, a Peabody Award and many more. Cindy lives in Connecticut with her husband Brian and a happy home of dogs, cats, horses and chickens.
For more information about Meehl and to see a full list of films and awards, please visit the Cedar Creek Productions website here.
After this three-part discussion series, the Library will continue the “Discover Documentaries” program as an ongoing discussion group where participants will select a documentary to watch and come together to talk about it.
Register for this series online at www.marktwainlibrary.org or call 203-938-2545 for information.