The Crew

Kirk French

Writer, Director, Executive Producer

Kirk French is a Teaching Professor of Anthropology at Penn State University. He has spent over 20 years conducting archaeological research in Mesoamerica that deals with the interplay between humans and their environment, specifically as it relates to water. His passion for this particular project stems largely from his interest in environmental change. And one of the things he’s trying to accomplish with this film is to accurately document the changes and tell the personal stories from those who have been directly affected by it.

Elijah Hermitt

Producer, Editor, Director of Photography

Elijah Hermitt is a videographer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Along with his formal education focused on anthropology and archaeology, Elijah has an extensive background in video production in a wide array of settings. Whether it was filming a documentary short on the impacts of moonshine production in North Carolina, directing live music videos, or covering Penn State football for PennLive, the guerrilla-style of his work has remained constant. Working on a project like Land and Water Revisited has enabled Elijah to further deepen his passion of amplifying the voices of communities often forgotten by those outside of them.

Neal Hutcheson

Producer, Camera, Audio, and Editor

Neal Hutcheson is an Emmy award winning documentary filmmaker with a large body of broadcast work centered on heritage in transition. In addition he has contributed to programs and films on Discovery Channel, History Channel, A&E and Sundance Channel. His films for PBS include First Language - The Race to Save Cherokee (with Danica Cullinan), Core.sounders - The Story of the Core Sound Watermen, and The Last One - Moonshine in the Great Smoky Mountains. Hutcheson's longstanding interest in collaborative, community-based storytelling finds its most vital expression to date in working with the people of the Teotihuacán Valley to help tell their story.