Filmmaker Aims to Create Anacostia River Documentary Series

An independent filmmaker and environmental educator is looking for donations to help her make a documentary series that explores how the residents of Navy Yard and other D.C. neighborhoods connect with the Anacostia River.

Alisha Camacho, who is creating the documentary series, has launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise money for the project, which came out of research she conducted as a student at The George Washington University.

The “Anacostia Unplugged” series is “about how going outside is saving lives, preserving the environment and empowering communities along the Anacostia River,” she said.

In addition to looking at life east of the the Anacostia, Anacostia Unplugged is expected to examine the role Navy Yard played in the river’s history and feature Ward 6 nonprofit organizations Earth Conservation Corps and the Living Classrooms Foundation, which use the waterway to help locals.

“There is a strong connection to the Navy Yard side and Ward 6,” Camacho said in an email. “One of the goals of Anacostia Unplugged is to bridge gaps by connecting everyone along the [Anacostia] Watershed.”

So far, Camacho has raised more than $3,250 from 35 supporters. Her goal is to get about $49,500 by June 30.

The money will go toward an assistant editor, artists and equipment to create “higher quality footage and editing,” Camacho’s Kickstarter page says.

“There is a lot of interest in this, a lot of partners involved and a lot of proposed story lines,” she said. “The problem with moving forward comes down to the funding, hence the Kickstarter campaign.”

Video via YouTube/Anacostia Unplugged