Mississippi, Tales of the Last River Rat
REVIEWS:
The Saturday Times - TV Choice.
"Kenny Salwey is an old timer who has lived alone all his life in the
backwaters of the Mississippi, hunting and trapping. 'I've never fit into what
folks call the real world,' he says. It took two years to make this serene film,
which looks at the world through his eyes as he describes the the abundance of
life that surrounds him. The sheer beauty of the photography and wildlife, the
gentle good ol' boy narrative and the background music of Mississippi blues
inspire a sense of wonder and calm."
The Saturday Guardian - 'Watch This'
"I've never fit into what folks call the real world". Kenny Salwey,
"the last Mississippi river rat", could have stepped from the pages of
a Mark Twain novel. He lives in a shack, gets much of his food from hunter
gathering and has a gently beguiling line in Zen-like utterances: "Change
is the only thing constant along the river". Slow down long enough to move
at Salwey's pace and an absorbing portrait of the great river begins to unfold -
eagles slipping around on winter ice, mayflies swarming until they cover every
surface and the spectacular blooming of the American water lotus.
The Observer
"Mississippi: Tales of the Last River Rat". Kenny Salwey has spent his
entire life living on the Upper Mississippi River and he reckons he's the last
of his kind - river rats, hermitic types who make their living on and from the
river. They also see themselves as guardians of the river and flora and fauna
that depend on it for their survival. Salwey's narration is sleepy, sentimental
and at time irritatingly ponderous for a man who also claims to be a writer.
Nevertheless, this 50-minute account of the changing seasons throughout a year
in Wisconsin is worth watching purely for the richness of the images it
contains. It terms of natural history film making this is an outstanding
programme, a poetic portrait that took two years to complete. Makes you want to
book your tickets today."
The Sunday Mail
Narrated by old-time trapper Kenny Salwey, one of the Mississippi's 'last
river rats,' this slow- moving portrait about life on the water features
'critters' close to Salwey's heart, including the musk rat, snapping turtle,
beaver, bald eagle and timber rattle. The change of seasons is also beautifully
filmed by Emmy-winning cameraman Neil Rettig, while country and blues music add
an authentic touch.