Fun night of film, activities, and discussion about the Malden River and its flow

Did you know that, years ago, the Malden River once flowed through the heart of the city? Now much of it is underground. At Coytemore Lea  Park in Malden, the hidden river is marked on the paved path above it.  In other parts of Malden, where the river runs above ground, the waterway is being reclaimed and celebrated.

Join the Malden community on the evening of Thursday, August 18 at Coytemore Lea Park from 7:00 – 9:30 PM for a unique night of outdoor film screenings, activities and discussion that centers around the community’s reclaiming of Malden’s central waterway.

Bring snacks, water, bug spray, friends,
and something to sit on!

Program

All films are short and locally produced. A highlight will be the 6-minute “A River Ran Through Here,” produced by four local adults in the “Filmbuilding Blast” workshop offered by UMA. The film uses the Malden River as a metaphor for the city’s flow of sounds, culture and evolving identity.

A short video produced by local students, who took part in an environment & media program at the Malden River, will be screened.

The professionally produced short (6-minute) film “Turnaround: Karen and the River” (Trillium Studios – Norwell, MA) will be shown, spotlighting local resident Karen Buck and her ongoing efforts to keep the Malden River free of trash through personal efforts and engaging others.

And the Malden family-based team of Wonderland Spectacle Co. will show a short film from their ongoing video series that highlights ways to engage with nature in the local area. Enjoy and discuss a fun film about the “hidden waterfall” in the Middlesex Fells.

Related activities will be offered along with community discussion and connection. This is an all ages event.

The Films

Be a Role Model! Protect the Malden River (4 min), The youth of Malden collaborated with Urban Media Arts and Friends of the Malden River/Malden River Works over the spring and summer of 2021 to participate in documenting and cleaning up the land near the Malden River. With Karen Buck as their guide, these students have worked as stewards to clean up and educate the public about the environmental impact of waste in nature, giving a voice to this overlooked ecosystem. In this PSA video, three Malden Catholic Students document a river clean at River’s Edge in Medford. Learn how you can get involved!

Turnaround – Karen and the River (6 min), a Turnaround Film by Trillium Studios Film that highlights the drive of one Malden resident to take action and clean up, care for and restore the Malden River. Karen Buck’s example has inspired others to join her and has generated significant awareness and movement toward caring for this natural treasure that some never knew existed.

A River Ran Through Here (6 min) was created by four residents of Malden over a weekend “Filmbuilding Blast” in June. These novice filmmakers had never met nor created a film. With technical assistance from filmmaker Karen He and ongoing support from Kamila Rodrigues, Mavi Ruiz, Sophie Tran Luoung, Josh Perry, and Conrad Mitala produced a thoughtful reflection of the Malden  River: its history, future, and significance as a metaphor for Malden’s evolution. This film demonstrates the power of the filmbuilding process to create community and co-create a film that captures a meaningful and multilayered perspective of Malden as a place. This project was funded in part by the Malden Cultural Council.

Cascades of the Middlesex (4 min) is a delightful guided tour to the somewhat “hidden” cascades in the Middlesex Fells in Melrose-Malden. Join a family excursion and get inspired to visit and even draw this natural treasure.

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Filmbuilding Malden – a city-wide program that connects communities through collaborative filmmaking projects, film screenings, and public media art events.