Carl, a lifelong DC resident, formed a deep relationship with the city's most polluted natural resource, the Anacostia River. His bond with the Anacostia led him to become environmentally aware, a water sportsman, and an activist and steward of the river. This eight to twelve minute film titled ?Not A Distant Beast? explores Carl's history, experiences, and emotions in relation to the Anacostia. Carl relates the meaning that the Anacostia has given him throughout his life and what it can do to improve the lives of people who use it and care for it. The film provokes the conclusion that cities are part of the larger environment and hopes to break the mental barrier that Americans have constructed that separates city and ecology.