After matriculating at the University of Southern California, filmmaker Chris Metzler set out to explore the landscape outside of Los Angeles. On his trip, after a wrong turn, he discovered the Salton Sea.

A saline lake created by an engineering mistake in 1905, the Salton Sea was home, in the 1950s, to a booming tourist industry, but a series of storms, floods, and fish die-offs led to the area's widespread abandonment, leaving a small, eccentric group of residents living upon its unique shore.

"Pleagues & Pleasures on the Salton Sea" tells the stories of the lake, its residents and supporters.

Narrated by John Waters, the film examines the characters that have found their way to the desert surrounding the salty body of water, while at the same time casting an eye on the ecological factors that have put the lake in its current condition.

After showing at the Slamdance Film Festival in 2004, the film will return to Park City with some new additions, including the Waters narration and the updates to the story.

The film will screen Thursday, March 9, at 7:30 p.m. in the Jim Santy Auditorium as part of the Park City Film Series' Best of Slamdance series. The event is free and open to the public.

For more information, visit www.parkcityfilmseries.com.

Matt James

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