A kaleidoscopic journey exploring the lives, lore, and locales along three great rivers of the American South

An award-winning, visionary journey through lives, lore, and locales along the Mississippi, Cumberland, and Tallahatchie rivers via musical performances, storytelling, light art, aerial dance, and cultural history.

Stars the Nashville based cosmic roots band Coyote Motel, aerial dance troupe Suspended Gravity Circus, and light artists Darling Lucifer Productions.

Written and co-produced by Premier Guitar editorial director and musician Ted Drozdowski and directed by Richie Owens, director of the Dolly Parton series Smoky Mountain DNA.

Grammy Award winning author and music journalist Anthony DeCurtis calls the film 'a dream journey that teases out why and how music means so much to so many of us.' These songs and the narratives connecting them are a journey along these beautiful rivers, and the river of life, with the music, visuals, and aerial dance adding a kaleidoscopic palette that broadens the film's emotional landscape to something beyond what words and music alone can convey. Starting at Nashville's Cumberland and weaving south along the Mississippi and Tallahatchie,

The River introduces viewers to muleskinners, coal miners riverboat gamblers, freedom fighters, and the late musical giants of North Mississippi blues. It also essays the omnipotent, timeless magic of the rivers themselves, and the cities and rural outposts along their endless waters. Coyote Motel--Drozdowski on vocals, guitar and diddley bow; Sean Zywick on bass; Kyra Lachelle Curenton on drums; Luella on vocals, guitar, and percussion; and Laurie Hoffma on Theremin and glockenspiel--cast a sonic spell that's both otherworldly and deeply rooted.

INCLUDES SONG PERFORMANCES:
1) Tupelo 6:03, 2) Black Lung Fever 4:46, 3) Keep Me in Your Mind 3:18, 4) The River Runs Forever 3:25, 5) Long Distance Runner 7:12, 6) Trouble 3:04, 7) Homegoing 4:08, 8) Still Among the Living 4:32, 9) Down in Chulahoma 3:57, 10) The River 6:14 (All songs by Ted Drozdowski except Homegoing, which is public domain.)

Media

Bonus Materials

• Interview with Ted Drozdowski (Writer) and Richie Owens (Director) about the making of the film
• On the Set Photo gallery
• Original Music video for the song 'Still Among the Living' (recorded in 2018)

 

Cast & Crew

Actors:

•       Coyote Motel as The Band
•       Ted Drozdowski as Himself
•       Sean Zywick as Himself
•       Kyra Lachelle Curenton as Self
•       Luella as Self
•       Laurie Hoffma as Herself
•       Suspended Gravity Circus as The Dancers
•       Bailey Freeman as Self
•       Paige Muirhead as Self
•       Emilia Airheart as Self
•       Tiffany Barrett as Self
•       Yuki Block as Self
•       Darling Lucifer as Self
•       Bonnie Aldcroft-Curran as Production
•       Daniel Curran as Production

Director: Richie Owens

Producer: Ted Drozdowski

Producer: Laurie Hoffma

Additional Details

Label: Dolly Sez Woof

Genre: Documentary

Language: English

Run Time: 69 mins

Region: 0

Release Date: 06/10/25

UPC: 760137174684