Book comes to life in documentary

Annette McGivney once said that “no one seemed to be paying attention to what I thought was a miracle and a really good story.” This week, her 30-minute film, Resurrection: Glen Canyon and A New Vision for the American West, earns national attention and will be shown across multiple medias at last.

An NAU journalism lecturer, McGivney has long had a passion for the outdoors. Her fervor for the environment was unleashed when she got an assignment to cover the lowering lake levels in Glen Canyon, sparking a five-year exploration into the recovered areas.

McGivney’s research was released in 2009 in the book Resurrection: Glen Canyon and a New Vision for the American West, which featured images by Salt Lake photographer James Kay.

Based upon the book, the documentary film showcases the ecological rebirth of Glen Canyon as water levels of Lake Powell recede.

The film features more than 100 images of Glen Canyon and Lake Powell, including historical footage from before the canyon was flooded. Resurrection also addresses the diminishing water resources in the West and how to live sustainably.

“I want the world to embrace the canyon’s recovery and value this ecological miracle over the dead reservoir of Lake Powell,” McGivney said. “It seems like Glen Canyon is showing people that even though the effects of climate change are very scary, there is hope if we let nature resume its cycles. It is a beautiful example of what is possible in the rest of the world.”