Yakona

Yakona, meaning "rising water" in a local Native American language, is a visual journey through the crystal clear waters of the San Marcos River and its headwaters at Spring Lake. This film takes the viewer from prehistoric times through the modern era on an impressionistic journey from the perspective of the river. While filming, many extraordinary changes occurred surrounding the springs and river, including the removal of the Aquarena Springs theme park, the restoration of Spring Lake and the uncovering of ancient human remains. The filmmakers were there to capture these historic changes to the river.

We follow the river from source to sea, through the changing seasons, interpreting the river’s time and memory, and documenting this relationship between the natural world and man. Yakona speaks directly to the viewer with its beauty, appealing to humanity’s higher nature, and the viewer begins to understand this is a river that yearns to remain unchanged despite everything that is changing around it.