Patagonia Rising

Director Brian Lilla takes an in-depth look at the controversy surrounding the proposed construction of five massive dams on the Baker and Pascua Rivers in Chile's Patagonia region, weighing the much-touted benefits against the potential drawbacks by speaking with the people whose lives would be most directly affected by the project. The primary inhabitants of the region are the Gauchos, rugged South American cowboys who have made their living off the land for hundreds of years. While the multinational energy corporation heading up the project claims that it would provide an invaluable energy source, the ranchers fear the prospect of being forced off of their land when the river valleys are transformed into floodplains. Meanwhile, the recent floods in the region caused by climate change make an already heated debate even more complex.