Restore Hetch Hetchy

It's a bit embarrassing that I have not blogged here in over a year. But I thought I would write a quick note after going to the Hetch Hetchy Film Festival in LA last Thursday.

The principle reason for the festival was to debut the re-release of "Discover Hetch Hetchy" with Harrison Ford. The new version is a bit leaner, though includes compelling new footage of our articulate and photogenic Executive Director Mike Marshall. As always, Sally Kaplan and David Vassar did a great job.

But we saw two other great films as well. David Brower's 1955 "Two Yosemites" was moving. The video is low-quality by today's standards but Brower is quite eloquent. No wonder he was and is such a revered environmental leader. Still the film does not imagine restoration but only bemoans the tragic flooding of Hetch Hetchy Valley.

For me the surprise of the evening was Gabriel Vasquez and Dylan Norris' "Restore the Hetch Hetchy". It is fun, fact-filled and will soon be on Youtube.

The best way to see these films is all at once. They will be shown December 1st at the Brower Center in Berkeley. I recommend that all fans of this historic restoration opportunity make the effort to attend. For more information go to Restore Hetch Hetchy's new website.