Film Schedule

Plagues and Pleasures on the Salton Sea (2004)

When: February 25, 2008, 7 pm

Official Website

Presented by: Jeff Springer, Writer and Co-Director

Once known as the California Riviera, the Salton Sea is now called one of America's worst ecological disasters: a fetid, stagnant, salty lake, coughing up dead fish and birds by the thousands. Yet a few hardy eccentrics hang on to hope, including a roadside nudist waving at passing European tourists, a man building a religious mountain out of mud and paint, beer-loving Hungarian Revolutionary Hunky Daddy, and the real-estate "Ronald McDonald" known simply as The Landman. Through their perceptions and misperceptions, the strange history and unexpected beauty of the Salton Sea is revealed.

Co-Directors: Chris Metzler and Jeff Springer
Narrated by: John Waters

Plagues and Pleasures on the Salton Sea will be preceded by a short film:

My Biodegradable Heart (4 min.)

Written and directed by Dana Adam Shapiro

An animated fable about a hopeless boy's plea for love, and an indifferent girl's plea for environmental sanity. This short film, by the director of the academy award-nominated documentary Murderball, had its premiere at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.

News & Views

  • March 10, 2008

    Read about the "Single-Shot Cinema" Workshop that was presented by documentary filmmaker Leonard Retel-Helmrich.

  • March 7, 2008

    The 2008 Awards have been announced, click here to see the winners.

  • February 15, 2008

    Documentary filmmaker Leonard Retel Helmrich will be presenting his "Single Shot Cinema" workshop on March 1, 2008. This one-day workshop will combine a theoretical overview of his acclaimed method with a rare opportunity for hands-on exploration of the technique. Learn more and register.