WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
Paradise. The beauty of relaxation, a pristine locale, often associated with the sun, sand, perhaps an ocean, and the realization you simply have no worries at all, even if only for a little while. It’s children’s squeals of excitement as they splash about in blue waters, the hum of conversations and laughter from the myriad of adults overlaid with a cries of seagulls racing through the skies above. Yes, this is a place of serenity and escape. It is the newest resort, a retreat, the hottest thing attracting thousands of visitors, it’s shoreline beckoning the beachgoers, boaters, fishermen, water-skiers, and more to dive in and smile as cares drift away and frivolity takes over. Yes, this is paradise.
Now, however, one might hear the lonely winds blowing across the arid and barren desert terrain surrounding a once proud expanse. The rattle of semis racing down now-empty roadways, the rumble of a locomotive clicking and clacking across old rail line, the distant din of agricultural equipment working their way through the fields that offer what little if any green there is left. The mighty Colorado River, once fueling this booming oasis, is now diverted to feed crops, even as the toxin-filled runoff seeps into the vast waters beyond them, poisoning any life with a deadly mix of DDT, selenium, and a salt content 25% larger than the Pacific. Even the dust is toxic. Derelict homes remind us of days gone by. Welcome to Imperial Valley, CA. Welcome to The Salton Sea.
Next, my Mind:
Continuing a very well-conceived, smartly executed, and highly effective run of documentary short films that include “My Own War” and “Gander: America’s Hero Dog”, director/editor/cinematographer Stacey Stone and executive producer Diane Mellen present their newest offering, a sobering, affecting, and, frankly, haunting 10-minute exposé on the loss of a former “Eden” that paints an equally potent tapestry illustrating the consequence of poor choices, negligence, and the high price that can be paid because of them. What this reviewer appreciated about this film was that while it definitively delivers a strong message, it isn’t done in a preachy way. While the imagery hits you in the face, granted with no apologies, it causes you to very much ponder the factors and lack of action which ultimately allowed what in the 1950’s was the greatest new place to vacation to become, over time, a virtually uninhabitable, ever-shrinking sea of desolation. Even those who still reside within certain proximity to the Salton Sea must be wary of walking its shores due to thousands of dead fish and birds or breathing the air should a breeze arise, risking asthma and other potential lung issues.
As hinted above, the cinematography here is very well rendered, providing us a journey that is sometimes beautiful and atmospheric, other times forlorn and disheartening, as we see what once was vs. what is current actuality–crowded beaches now turned into barren, alien landscapes with only the light lapping of small waves upon the shore disturbing an eerily silent world at one time booming with life. Additionally, the abandoned homes, now covered in graffiti, also showcase the unfortunate state of affairs to be found now. The accompanying and deeply apropos ambient music score from well-known composer Brian Keane likewise works to elicit the evocative experience the film creates for the viewer, while the voiceover narration by young girl and local Imperial Valley resident Mia Davies adds further weight and perspective to the greater themes being explored. What strikes you is that so much of the former beauty and overall appeal of The Salton Sea could have been preserved, and therefore retained, as the glorious resort community and natural wonder it was had there been some level of true accountability on the part of those with power to do something to aid in maintaining it. Yet, as we see here, the opposite occurred, and is why the film’s title very much says it all.
In total, “Unaccountable” will end up impacting you on multiple levels if you allow it to, in that it not only addresses the literal issues with our National Park and Recreation Departments allowing such a wonderful place to fall to ruin (plus, the finale’s on screen factoid related to this is honestly shocking given what we’ve just seen), but also perhaps acts as a rather blunt reality check to us a human beings, given our habits of letting things fall by the wayside in our own lives that then end up to our detriment rather than our benefit. We assuredly don’t like to admit this, of course, but maybe we can still find it within ourselves to look at a story like the one here, opening up to let it sink in, and then return to a newly found sense of innocence and accountability, hoping to see the total beauty of everything around us and between us be restored to former glory.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
