Plagues and Pleasures on the Salton Sea

Once known as the "California Riviera," the Salton Sea is now considered one of America's worst ecological disasters: a fetid, stagnant, salty lake, coughing up dead fish and birds by the thousands. "Accidentally" created by an engineering error in 1905, reinvented in the '50s as a world class vacation destination for the rich and famous, and then suddenly abandoned after a series of hurricanes, floods, and fish die-offs, the Salton Sea has a peculiar and bittersweet past.

This surreal and apocalyptic landscape is now home to a hardy group of eccentric hangers-on, who have carved out their own slice of paradise on the shores of this environmental train wreck. As if living on the banks of a man-made mistake wasn't challenging enough, the sea's most unique community now faces a new struggle. Residents are being threatened by the nearby megalopolises of Los Angeles and San Diego, which are poised to snatch up the agricultural run-off that barely sustains the sea. The fate of this so-called ecological time bomb and the community that surrounds it remain uncertain, as the Salton Sea might just dry up.

Narrated by cult-movie legend John Waters, Plagues & Pleasures is an epic western tale of fantastic real estate ventures and failed boomtowns, inner-city gang flight to white small town America, and the subjective nature of success and failure amidst the landscape of the American Dream.

This program is not currently scheduled for broadcast.

Filmmaker Profiles:

Resources

• Salton Sea Doc

Plagues & Pleasures: Crew & Credits

Directed and Photographed by
Chris Metzler & Jeff Springer

Narrated by
John Waters

Produced by
Chris Metzler

Edited by
Jeff Springer

Associate Producer:
Heather Carawan

Identity Design:
Dave Puketza

Motion Graphics:
Tyson Fitzgerald
Josh Kurz
Chris Metzler
Dave Puketza
Mary Rowe
Jeff Springer

Additional Photography:
Brett Dodd
Patrick Michael Dolan
Josh Kurz
Curtis Peterson

Offline Editing Facilities provided by Evil Twin Productions

Online Editing:
Shirley Gutierrez - KQED
Heather Weaver - BAVC

Truly CA Series Producer:
Rachel Raney

Original Music by
Friends of Dean Martinez:
Bill Elm
Andrew Gerfers
Mike Semple

Music recorded at Airole Way Recording Studios

Music available by Aero Recordings

Sound Design:
Scott Hirsch

Re-recording mixing:
Paul J. Zahnley, CAS
Disher Music & Sound

Narration recording:
Bob Bragg
Producers Video

DVD and Website Design:
Olya Lyubchenko

Legal Counsel:
Steven Paul Mark, Attorney at Law

International Producer's Representative
Roco Films

Educational & TV Distribution:
The Cinema Guild

Home Video Distribution:
New Video/Docurama

Archival footage sources:

The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour
Footage courtesy of Paul Brownstein Productions
All rights reserved.

Palm Seas
Peterson Productions Inc.
Toronto/Vancouver/Los Angeles
(800) 665-6920

Burrud Productions
The Cabazon Tribe of Mission Indians
CNN News Archives
The Estate of Sonny Bono
Holly Corporation
Imperial Irrigation District
KFMB -- San Diego
KGTV -- San Diego
KMIR -- Palm Springs
Prelinger Archives
United States Department of Fish & Wildlife
United States Archives

Archival photo sources:
Michael Ochs Archives (at michaelochs.com)

Coachella Valley Historical Society
Desert Sun
Fresno Bee
Imperial Valley Press
Los Angeles Times
Milt Friend
Riverside Press-Enterprise
San Diego Union Tribune
Salton Sea Authority
Salton Seafarer
University of Redlands
United States Department of Fish & Wildlife
United States Bureau of Reclamation

Music courtesy of:
"Long Train Runnin'"
written by Tom Johnston
published by Warner-Tamerlan Publishing Corp. (BMI)
performed by Sonny & Cher

"Coppertone"
written by Dave Lachance
published by Anaba Pacific (SOCAN)
performed by Friends of Dean Martinez

"FRESCA"
written by Bill Elm & Woody Jackson
published by Tastin' The Plastic (BMI)
performed by Friends of Dean Martinez

Funding & Support provided by:
Bay Area Video Coalition
Pacific Pioneer Fund
Environmental Media Fund
Johnson & Widdifield Charitable Foundation
HBO Producers' Award -- Savannah Film Festival

Special thanks to:
Anthony, Dave, Lynda, & Tim Metzler
Olya Lyubchenko, Michelle Quirmbach & Todd Springer

Produced in association with KQED.

This doc was produced by Chris Metzler and Jeff Springer, who are solely responsible for its content.

C 2006, TILAPIA FILM L.L.C. All rights reserved

Inspired by and in memory of a man who knew his water issues.
Dave Metzler 1947-2003

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