2021 (USA) 87 minutes
Directed by: Aaron Maurer
Executive Producer: Mary Ingrebrand-Pohlad
Produced by: Zachary D. McMillan
Coachella Valley – the name conjures up images of the Coachella Music Festival; swaying palm trees and lush green golf courses; entertainers relaxing poolside; and tourists everywhere. Invisible Valley captures the area as a whole, one that encompasses a vast range of economic disparity and living conditions. In the documentary, the struggles of undocumented farmworkers are juxtaposed against the relaxed lifestyles of wealthy snowbirds and the hedonistic indifference of the music festival-goers. Shot over the course of one year, the film explores the vast history of Coachella, including the ecological tragedy of the Salton Sea, and ponders its looming future.
Opening Film – 2021 Santa Barbara International Film Festival
Director Aaron Mauer and Producer Zachary McMillan in attendance