About Silent River
The Santiago River, known locally as "the River of Death," flows along the outskirts of Guadalajara, Mexico. For forty years, waste from one of Mexico’s largest manufacturing corridors has been dumped into the Santiago.
80% of the companies in the corridor – brands like IBM, HP, Coca-Cola, Levi’s, Honda and Nestlé – are American and Japanese. The river has been transformed into a sewer with over 1000 known chemicals, including dangerously high levels of arsenic, chrome, and lead. Silent River follows a young woman and her family as they defy death threats to try and save the one of the most polluted rivers in Mexico.
The Filmmakers
Jason Jaacks Director / Editor
Jason Jaacks is a visual storyteller who focuses on social and environmental issues. His films have documented a range of topics, from the militarization of the U.S.-Mexico border to performance poetry among Native American youth. In 2012, Jason was named a National Geographic Explorer. He is the founder of SplitFrame Media and lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Steve Fisher Producer / Director
Steve Fisher is an investigative journalist with a focus on cross-border, U.S.-Mexico stories. He has written for National Geographic, the ABC News/Univision network, Fusion, and New America Media. He is currently working at the Investigative Reporting Program at UC Berkeley's Graduate School of Journalism.