It was under the North Carolina Museum of Natural Science's inflatable theater Monday night where the mighty Roanoke, the River of Death, came to life at the premier of the Art Howard documentary We are the River.

The panoramic film— a standard DVD may be developed in the future — puts you under a canopy of trees as you drift the river and listen to its rich voices — stories of the 1940 flood; the fishing; the industry and the spiritual connection it brings, whether through the ceremony of baptism or simply camping out on one of the 16 platforms offered by the Roanoke River Partners.

Its importance to our life, through centuries, is succinctly stated in this documentary, one that is actually designed to teach children, but one adults can come away with a deeper understanding of what it means to us and why it is important we work to protect it.

Going down the river.

The stories in this film come from Tillery, come from Hamilton and come from Jamesville. It speaks of the striper phenomena, salt water fish that travel to Weldon to spawn, the food source it supplies and the efforts made to make the Roanoke as pristine as possible.

It was, as one of the sources interviewed in the film stated, the 1800s and early 1900s version of Interstate 95.

The documentary was taken to Pittman Elementary School Monday morning before its screening Monday night at the Scotland Neck Senior Center gym.

It moves on the rest of the week so other school children along the Roanoke River basin will get to see it — all told some 550 children will see the film and craft activities after the viewing, said Marie English, one of the educators entrusted with the screenings.

One of the stories.

For Carol Shields, executive director of the Roanoke River Partners, Monday was the first time she saw the film, in which her group was instrumental in directing Howard toward many of the resources and voices needed to make the documentary.

Last year alone, 1,215 overnight permits were issued to use the platforms set up along the river basin to camp, she said, including a family from Michigan tired of the cold.

She believes the film as it is shown to children will help develop a new generation of river keepers, and judging from comments made by the instructors Monday night, some are already showing their interest in the mighty river.

From the segment on baptisms.

Coming out of the GeoDome Monday night, our first hope is there will be a linear version of the documentary so more can get to see it. Our second hope is that the children who do see it, as well as the adults, come away with a deeper appreciation of what the Roanoke means to us through its rich history and promising future — Lance Martin