Milk & Honey (Leche y Miel) is a short film that centres around the Colorado River, showcasing the Latino community of Yuma, and their connection to the strained river.
Yuma is often thought of as a hot, dry desert town in southwestern Arizona, but it is the land of abundance as during the winter months, nearly all the leafy vegetables Americans eat are grown in the fertile fields which lie at the literal end of the Colorado River.
For the people who work the fields, the Colorado River represents not only the source of their livelihood, but a deep, spiritual connection to this arid landscape as well.
Milk & Honey – which is produced by conservation organisation, American Rivers – may feature less than 30 seconds of actual footage of the Colorado River, but the short film really focuses on the stories around the river.
American Rivers say: “Milk & Honey may not be your typical ‘river’ film, but that is kind of the point. We are all tied to these rivers, whether you play on them or not. Our nations rivers provide clean water, provide thrilling recreation, provide beauty and solitude and spirituality, and as this film illustrates so well, they provide our food.
“What this film does so well, and how it touches the viewer so perfectly, is that it is all about people – and how the people of Yuma, Arizona are so deeply connected to the Colorado River and the work that they and the Colorado River do together. In nearly every aspect of their lives, the people of Yuma are inherently tied to the health and sustainability of the river, and as we learn in Milk & Honey, the rest of us [the US] as well.”
Rosa Medea is Life & Soul Magazine’s Chief @rosamedea
