Documentary backdrop image for Back Water (2015)

Documentary backdrop image for Back Water (2015)

201565 minPG-13documentary

Back Water

201565 minPG-13documentary

In New Jersey, seven young paddlers navigate a complex landscape of wetlands, industrial ruins, and toxic sites over a ten-day canoe expedition.

Genres

Director

Synopsis

In New Jersey, seven young paddlers navigate a complex landscape of wetlands, industrial ruins, and toxic sites over a ten-day canoe expedition.

People

Jon Cohrs

Jon Cohrsdirector

Synopsis

In the middle of New Jersey exists a strange landscape of wetlands and wildlife migrations, garbage dumps and the ruins of industry, toxic waste sites and a river that tells the story of a civilization's new frontier. That is what seven young people have chosen to paddle through for 10 days, in canoes - A singular expedition, as romantic as it is political.

Comments

What are people saying?

Play More Like This

Waterwalker (2016)

Waterwalker

2016•1h27m•★8.3TMDB

Bill Mason paddles through the largest and most spectacular lake in the world, sharing his love for nature and canoeing in Ontario's waterways.

The River and the Wall (2019)

The River and the Wall

2019•1h49m•★5.6TMDB

Five friends travel 1,200 miles along the United States-Mexico border to evaluate the ecological effects of a proposed border wall.

The River and the Wall

Paddle for the North: A Journey Through Canada's Untamed Wilderness (2024)

Paddle for the North: A Journey Through Canada's Untamed Wilderness

A 1,500 km canoe trip through six rivers in Canada’s wilderness aims to raise awareness about environmental protection and Indigenous rights.

Paddle for the North: A Journey Through Canada's Untamed Wilderness

Biodiverse Wildlife in the former Dirtiest River in Germany (2022)

Biodiverse Wildlife in the former Dirtiest River in Germany

The Wupper River in Germany, once heavily polluted by industrialization, has undergone significant renaturation efforts, resulting in a thriving ecosystem and revitalized wildlife.

Biodiverse Wildlife in the former Dirtiest River in Germany

Biebrza: Exploring Europe's Untamed Waterworld - The European Amazon (2023)

Biebrza: Exploring Europe's Untamed Waterworld - The European Amazon

In Poland's Biebrza National Park, the seasonal transformations of the Biebrza River wetlands reveal the intricate lives of diverse wildlife, from migrating geese to predatory sea eagles.

Biebrza: Exploring Europe's Untamed Waterworld - The European Amazon

Forever Wild (2021)

Forever Wild

Gabriel treks nearly 40 miles down the coast in California, preparing to return home after months living off the land.

Wild Hungary - A Water Wonderland (2022)

Wild Hungary - A Water Wonderland

A young white-tailed eagle searches for food in the frozen Puszta as wildlife and humans share Hungary's rivers and plains.

Wild Hungary - A Water Wonderland

Can First Nations of Today Survive The Wilderness of Their Ancestors? (2024)

Can First Nations of Today Survive The Wilderness of Their Ancestors?

Six Indigenous strangers confront the harsh realities of survival on the Atlantic coast, navigating a canoe journey while establishing a camp before nightfall.

Can First Nations of Today Survive The Wilderness of Their Ancestors?

Exploring the Untamed Essequibo: A Thrilling Journey to the River's Secret Source (2024)

Exploring the Untamed Essequibo: A Thrilling Journey to the River's Secret Source

A team of 14 people carries enough food and supplies for several weeks while traveling 400 kilometers on rough dirt roads to reach the Essequibo's source.

Exploring the Untamed Essequibo: A Thrilling Journey to the River's Secret Source

Archipelago New York: The City of Islands & Wildlife (2025)

Archipelago New York: The City of Islands & Wildlife

Eight million people live in New York City, where thousands of species have adapted to urban life, often unnoticed amid the bustling metropolis.

Archipelago New York: The City of Islands & Wildlife

Explore Back Water

Where else to watch

The River and the Wall (2019)

The River and the Wall

2019•1h49m•★5.6TMDB

Five friends travel 1,200 miles along the United States-Mexico border to evaluate the ecological effects of a proposed border wall.

The River and the Wall

No digital watch option in your country

The New Wilderness (2013)

The New Wilderness

2013•1h34m•★7.1TMDB

6,000 hectares of the Oostvaardersplassen in the Netherlands have transformed into a vibrant wetland, allowing nature to thrive without human intervention.

The New Wilderness

In Our Water (1982)

In Our Water

1982•1h•★7.6TMDB

A family in South Brunswick, New Jersey, discovers their well water is contaminated by toxins from a nearby landfill, prompting a five-year fight for accountability.

Paddle for the North (2015)

Paddle for the North

2015•55m•★9.0TMDB

A 1,500-kilometer expedition through six remote rivers in North America includes a challenging 130-kilometer upriver portage against strong currents.

Paddle for the North

I Am the River, the River Is Me (2024)

I Am the River, the River Is Me

2024•1h28m•★7.0TMDB

A Māori tribal leader and his group travel the Whanganui River, the first river in the world granted legal personhood, to promote environmental stewardship.

I Am the River, the River Is Me

Into Nature's Wild (2020)

Into Nature's Wild

2020•45m•★6.0TMDB

Kayaking, biking, and hot air ballooning take place across diverse U.S. landscapes, including Alaska's wilderness and Oregon's coastline.

Into Nature's Wild

Grand Canyon Adventure: River at Risk (2008)

Grand Canyon Adventure: River at Risk

2008•45m•★5.5TMDB

A thrilling river-rafting journey reveals critical water conservation issues.

Grand Canyon Adventure: River at Risk

Browse more like this

Paddle for the North: A Journey Through Canada's Untamed Wilderness (2024)

Paddle for the North: A Journey Through Canada's Untamed Wilderness

A 1,500 km canoe trip through six rivers in Canada’s wilderness aims to raise awareness about environmental protection and Indigenous rights.

Paddle for the North: A Journey Through Canada's Untamed Wilderness

No digital watch option in your country

Biodiverse Wildlife in the former Dirtiest River in Germany (2022)

Biodiverse Wildlife in the former Dirtiest River in Germany

The Wupper River in Germany, once heavily polluted by industrialization, has undergone significant renaturation efforts, resulting in a thriving ecosystem and revitalized wildlife.

Biodiverse Wildlife in the former Dirtiest River in Germany

No digital watch option in your country

Biebrza: Exploring Europe's Untamed Waterworld - The European Amazon (2023)

Biebrza: Exploring Europe's Untamed Waterworld - The European Amazon

In Poland's Biebrza National Park, the seasonal transformations of the Biebrza River wetlands reveal the intricate lives of diverse wildlife, from migrating geese to predatory sea eagles.

Biebrza: Exploring Europe's Untamed Waterworld - The European Amazon

No digital watch option in your country

Forever Wild (2021)

Forever Wild

Gabriel treks nearly 40 miles down the coast in California, preparing to return home after months living off the land.

No digital watch option in your country

Wild Hungary - A Water Wonderland (2022)

Wild Hungary - A Water Wonderland

A young white-tailed eagle searches for food in the frozen Puszta as wildlife and humans share Hungary's rivers and plains.

Wild Hungary - A Water Wonderland

No digital watch option in your country

Can First Nations of Today Survive The Wilderness of Their Ancestors? (2024)

Can First Nations of Today Survive The Wilderness of Their Ancestors?

Six Indigenous strangers confront the harsh realities of survival on the Atlantic coast, navigating a canoe journey while establishing a camp before nightfall.

Can First Nations of Today Survive The Wilderness of Their Ancestors?

No digital watch option in your country

Exploring the Untamed Essequibo: A Thrilling Journey to the River's Secret Source (2024)

Exploring the Untamed Essequibo: A Thrilling Journey to the River's Secret Source

A team of 14 people carries enough food and supplies for several weeks while traveling 400 kilometers on rough dirt roads to reach the Essequibo's source.

Exploring the Untamed Essequibo: A Thrilling Journey to the River's Secret Source

No digital watch option in your country

Archipelago New York: The City of Islands & Wildlife (2025)

Archipelago New York: The City of Islands & Wildlife

Eight million people live in New York City, where thousands of species have adapted to urban life, often unnoticed amid the bustling metropolis.

Archipelago New York: The City of Islands & Wildlife

No digital watch option in your country

Land of Waters: Created by Man, Overtaken by Nature (2022)

Land of Waters: Created by Man, Overtaken by Nature

2022•1h20m•★9.5TMDB

90% of Hungary's floodplains have been lost to artificial reservoirs and fish ponds, yet wildlife has adapted to thrive in man-made lakes.

Land of Waters: Created by Man, Overtaken by Nature

Wad: surviving on the border of water and land (2018)

Wad: surviving on the border of water and land

2018•1h33m•★7.9TMDB

In the Wadden Sea, local communities confront the impacts of rising sea levels and changing ecosystems while sharing their adaptation strategies.

Wad: surviving on the border of water and land

Waterschool (2018)

Waterschool

2018•1h10m•★8.0TMDB

Six young girls learn about water conservation and pollution issues while representing the Amazon, Nile, Mississippi, Danube, Ganges, and Yangtze rivers.

Afterwater (2022)

Afterwater

2022•1h33m•★2.9TMDB

Two friends set up camp by a lake, engaging in reading, foraging, and swimming until a stranger disrupts their peaceful retreat.

Browse more by Jon Cohrs

View all films →

Kids Like Me (2026)

Kids Like Me

2026

Is this your film?

If you made this film or hold the rights to it, we'd like to talk. We can license it and pay you a share of what it earns.

License it with us →