Calming the Waters

Jim Blackburn contemplates the spiritual connection between humanity and the natural world.
Calming the Waters

Jeff interviews Henk Mooiweer
Innovation Consultant
about thinking "outside the frame."

"I've heard a lot of speeches in my career, but hearing Jim speak stays in my mind, because of his kind of unique approach to solving certain problems. And I thought, 'I just need to have a meeting with Jim, and let's see what comes out of it'."
Before the Curtain Rises

One of the many promotions that Interstate used to keep people coming into the theaters was personal appearances by movie stars. Film openings were big events.

After WWII, a statewide program sent stars to theaters, large and small. The stars would arrive in a specially decorated "Movietime in Texas" bus.
Before the Curtain Rises

The Houston Bluebonnet Theatre was acquired by Interstate in 1936 during the carnage of the Depression. During that time, many Texas independent theatres went under.
Before the Curtain Rises

One of Interstate's popular urban theaters was the Art Deco-themed Tower Theatre, built in 1935.

Even after it closed as a movie house, it's small stage was used for performances of the "Best Little Whorehouse in Texas."

CALMING THE WATERS

Calming the Waters presents a plan for protecting and enhancing Texas' coastal environment — its rivers, bays, and wetlands — that supports habitat for birds, sea life and plant life, and correspondingly ensures a healthy place for its human inhabitants. The film takes its ideas and urgency from the career-long work of environmental lawyer and Rice Professor Jim Blackburn, and his recent book: "A Texan Plan For The Texas Coast".


Our purpose is to raise public awareness about the importance and fragility of Texas' coastal waters and to educate citizens about ways to save this endangered resource in a state frequently unfriendly to its environment.


Our film is currently complete (as of December 2025) and we are working on distribution and educational outreach.  The film is under consideration by NETA (PBS)  and other distributors. Running time is 90 minutes. For more information, please call Jeffrey Mills 713-203-6677

 

Photo courtesy Houston Chronicle


IN PRODUCTION

For Calming the Waters, we interviewed Ann Hamilton, formerly with Houston Endowment, about The Aransas Project vs. Shaw trial, 2011

 

 Ann said:

"Jim had the right questions and George (Archibald, co-founder of the International Crane Foundation) had the right answers. It was a fascinating trial. It was like reading a John Grisham novel... The trial was sort of a capstone for my love of whooping cranes and knowing that there were so many people who cared about those birds."


For all the details about Calming the Waters,
please see the website for the film. https://www.calmingthewaters.com/


DONATE NOW!

Please consider supporting our efforts to bring the story of Jim Blackburn and his innovative team to the airwaves. You can make a tax deductable contribution to Documentary Alliance via PayPal's credit cared services. Just click the link below to enter your information.

If you would like to donate by mail,

please make your check payable to

 "Documentary Alliance"

and mail it to :

Calming the Waters Documentary

c/o Documentary Alliance

4319 Spellman Road

Houston, TX 77035



Documentary Alliance is a 501c3 organization.

Donations are tax deductable. 

Our EIN is 03-0529802


For more information:

Jeffrey Mills

Documentary Alliance

713.203.6677

jmills@documentaryalliance.org