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Connected By Water

Humans are natural storytellers and that is how we make connections. Join Will Freund on a journey to hear perspectives from 9 people living along the coast of the United States southeastern coast about what they think of climate change.

Traveling solo over 1,000 miles along the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway in a Hobie Mirage Adventure Island from Miami, Florida to Norfolk, Virginia, he meets people from so many different backgrounds and learns more than he ever thought possible.

  • Will Freund
    Director
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Feature
  • Genres:
    Adventure, Climate Change
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 15 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    January 24, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    15,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Distribution Information
  • YouTube
    Distributor
    Country: United States
    Rights: Internet
Director Biography - Will Freund

Will Freund is an educator, storyteller, and environmentalist born in Cleveland, Ohio, but has lived in the southeastern US for most of his life. After graduating from the College of Charleston with a B.S. in Biology, he went off and worked in a variety of seasonal/temporary conservation and environmental education work that brought him all along the coast from Sarasota, FL to Corolla, NC, and everywhere in between.

Will Freund is first and foremost a storyteller with a passion for education, the environment, and making something from nothing. His driving passion is to lower the threshold to entry for all creative and educational endeavors.

In his free time, Will loves to go birding, build and tinker in the shop, and plan his next big adventure. His photography aims to show the beauty and diversity of the natural world as well as our connection to it. Will believes in hope for our future, even in the face of a changing climate and that storytelling is the path to a more thoughtful and engaged society.

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Director Statement

I chose to make this film, Connected By Water, to try to understand how people living in coastal communities feel about climate change. In previous years, I had worked as an intern at serval conservation and research organizations as well as a couple of years working as an environmental educator all along the southeastern coast of the United States. During that time, I saw firsthand the impacts of climate change on our coastal ecosystems as well as the divisive rhetoric that comes with it. Through my conservation and educational work, I realized that there was a major disconnect between the scientific community and the public. At our core, everyone is a storyteller and that is how we are going to build bridges and make progress on addressing climate change. Rather than asking people what impacts of climate change they see, I asked how they felt about it.

That’s why I set out on a solo kayaking trip to traverse 1000 miles of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway to meet, connect, and share conversations with people from all walks of life and background to get a better understanding of where we are as a country. I may not have changed anyone’s mind, but I hope that it sparks a conversation, because that is where everything starts.