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American Dendrite

Play trailer 1:48 Poster for American Dendrite 2025 1h 18m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
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A documentary captured over a road trip across the heartland of the United States, American Dendrite is a meditation on the climate, culture, and collective consciousness of people connected by living alongside the Mississippi River system. With a vintage Super 8mm film camera, director Adam Marshall Present and his crew trace the path of water flowing from their home city of Chicago to the Gulf of Mexico in Louisiana. Each person they encounter along the way is asked to share stories, memories, or what they are feeling at that moment -- with their only prompt being to listen to what the previous person up the river has shared. As this "flow of conversation" takes place alongside the country's most vital and storied river, the result is a living time capsule of this pivotal moment in American history. A wide range of participants express their personal challenges and reasons for hope, uncovering a shared spirit of what it means to be an American right now. This timeless yet contemporary road trip, which can be likened to a game of telephone down the river, sheds light how the forces of water, geography, and circumstance bind us together.

Critics Reviews

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Bill Arceneaux Moviegoing with Bill Oct 29
5/5
This could just be the most intelligent movie of this year, or maybe the decade. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Cast & Crew

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Adam Marshall Present

Director

Adam Marshall Present

Producer

Caroline Bates

Producer

Adam Marshall Present

Cinematographer

Adam Marshall Present

Film Editor
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American Dendrite

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American Dendrite

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Movie Info

Synopsis A documentary captured over a road trip across the heartland of the United States, American Dendrite is a meditation on the climate, culture, and collective consciousness of people connected by living alongside the Mississippi River system. With a vintage Super 8mm film camera, director Adam Marshall Present and his crew trace the path of water flowing from their home city of Chicago to the Gulf of Mexico in Louisiana. Each person they encounter along the way is asked to share stories, memories, or what they are feeling at that moment -- with their only prompt being to listen to what the previous person up the river has shared. As this "flow of conversation" takes place alongside the country's most vital and storied river, the result is a living time capsule of this pivotal moment in American history. A wide range of participants express their personal challenges and reasons for hope, uncovering a shared spirit of what it means to be an American right now. This timeless yet contemporary road trip, which can be likened to a game of telephone down the river, sheds light how the forces of water, geography, and circumstance bind us together.
Director
Adam Marshall Present
Producer
Adam Marshall Present, Caroline Bates
Production Co
EastWest Films
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Runtime
1h 18m