Keeping the May River Wild
“Keeping the May River Wild” combines still photography of egrets, eagles, dolphins and more with a collection of natural sounds and 10 interviews with people who understand the river, its residents and the challenges they face from rapid area development.
The documentary opens with the view from the cockpit of a kayak paddling the marshy river near Hilton Head Island, S.C. Similar scenes serve as transitions through, effectively, three acts. The video of the kayak bow fades to a still photograph from the same perspective, then into a photograph of eagles. Their unique call is underpinned by Rob Smith’s bluegrass-flavored music. The narrator’s voice – making its only appearance – pairs with satellite images and an animated sequence of an egret catching a shrimp to locate the river and establish that the land around it is changing. Interview subjects appear briefly in black-and-white as color stills – of wildlife, the river and people who use the river – add meaning to their words.
The first act explains the river’s unique value. The second discusses the challenges of rapid development, of balancing human and wildlife needs. In the third act, the interview subjects offer thoughts on the river’s future.
Quickly paced, with carefully juxtaposed images, interviews and audio, the documentary comprises hundreds of short scenes and Foley sounds, including some 200 stills, most made from a kayak, many from the middle of bug – and wildlife – infested marshes.
