Plough that Broke the Plains/ The River

Pae Lorentz's film broke the European monopoly on social documentaries. It was made in 1936 for the federal government. The film concerns the 400 million acres of the Great Plains, their settlement, misuse and consequences. Throughout, the makers' techniques and talents provide testimony to the power of film, and the revenge nature takes on those who misuse her. The River The story is one of man against nature. The setting: Tennessee in 1937. The task: to control the Mississippi and its flooding. B&W