An expedition to the heart of water in Bhutan—a night with the filmmaker, Greg I. Hamilton

In the country with the world’s most ambitious commitment to protect nature, where the king values the happiness of his people above the money they make, a threat is looming. Bhutan's primary revenue source is hydropower; quotas with India would require damming every last river. A man named "Good Karma" guides an expedition to keep his kingdom's mightiest river wild and free.

Even as his countrymen are pulling away from their roots toward the electric lure of the city, Karma "Good Karma" Tshering guides foreigners deep into Bhutan's wilderness. There he shares the wisdom of his culture—the very last of the fading Himalayan kingdoms—hoping it's not too late to rekindle reverence for our planet's wildest places. Karma hopes to keep one, just one, of his country's rivers undammed. A Buddhist, he doesn't even fish. It's a dangerous expedition onto unexplored whitewater. He has a wife, a young son, and a new baby. So why? And what makes him think he can succeed? In a land founded by a saint who rode a flying tiger, in a place where happiness is a higher goal than money, perhaps anything is possible. Through the exploits of Karma and his hand-picked international expedition team, Power of the River will plunge to the heart of what most threatens Earth's wild spaces—and what will most likely save them. 

Stay for a Q&A with Greg I. Hamilton after the free community screening of Power of the River.

Free admission, but a $10 suggested donation benefits Power of the River's audience outreach and cameras-for-conservation initiatives. Tax-deductible donation options also available.

Power of the River movie - official trailer from Greg I. Hamilton on Vimeo.

Run time: 73 min.

About the filmmaker
Greg wrote, directed and produced Power of the River, and he and directed the documentary The Movement, which was selected for Sundance and 20 other festivals, winning five awards. For 20 years he has worked on niche distribution, building huge audiences for independent films. As a cultural anthropologist, Greg believes in sharing stories that inspire us to question assumptions of what’s possible, so we can be our very best at whatever turns us on. He makes his home in Steamboat Springs.