Living Downstream

About the Project

Based on the acclaimed book by ecologist and cancer survivor Sandra Steingraber, Ph.D., Living Downstream is an eloquent and award-winning documentary. This cinematic film follows Sandra during one pivotal year as she travels across North America, working to break the silence about cancer and its environmental links. After a routine cancer screening, Sandra receives some worrying results and is thrust into a period of medical uncertainty. Thus, we begin two journeys with Sandra: her private struggles with cancer and her public quest to bring attention to the urgent human rights issue of cancer prevention.

But Sandra is not the only one who is on a journey—the chemicals against which she is fighting are also on the move. We follow these invisible toxicants as they migrate to some of the most beautiful places in North America. We see how these chemicals enter our bodies and how, once inside, scientists believe they may be working to cause cancer. At once Sandra’s personal journey and her scientific exploration, Living Downstream is a powerful reminder of the intimate connection between the health of our bodies and the health of our air, land, and water.

Individuals and groups across North America are using Living Downstream as an educational and outreach tool. They are using the film to raise public awareness about the links between environmental contamination and cancer incidence. They are using it to inspire critical thinking among students. They are using it to inspire deeper environmental engagement and activism.

The Fledgling Fund Impact

The Fledgling Fund is pleased to support the outreach and engagement activities for Living Downstream. This film tells an often hidden truth - the real connections between our environments and our health. This film will make audiences think differently about how they interact with their environment and the standards they demand from corporations and our local leaders.