Intention: My intentions with the backward river is to create art that can be not only accessible but reflective of the issues that surround the Chicago river and the city as whole. The choice to focus on slow violence as a subject came from its peculiar name and its relation to how private and public entities use policy to justify blatant environmental racism. Due to the massive covid-19 pandemic it has amplified and exposed these issues and it can not be ignored anymore.
Bio: Tristen Ortiz is an aspiring writer and filmmaker. He has worked with the non-profit company Community TV Network that empowers youth with the tools and knowledge to create digital media and specifically worked under Project Waters, which aims to unite water activism and filmmaking. He has directed several short films and worked as a script supervisor and assistant director for a feature length film. Tristen holds a BA in English from the University of Illinois Chicago.
