“Jefferson City Native Makes Documentary Film to be Aired on PBS ”
By Elise Hasty

When Doug Hawes-Davis graduated from Jefferson City High School in 1986, he had no idea he would become a filmmaker with a major documentary airing on PBS.

It wasn't until after Hawes-Davis graduated from the University of Montana with a degree in environmental studies in 1992 that he expressed an interest in film making. He attended a film festival and said he “realized how effective documentaries can be to tell stories.”

From there, Hawes-Davis decided to experiment in the field. His first brief documentary, funded with grant money provided by a non-profit organization, focused on lead mining in the Mark Twain National Forest.

Today, Hawes-Davis is partnered with Dru Carr, from Springfield, as owners and operators of High Plains Films in Missoula, Montana. They focus on - as their slogan states - “documenting nature and society.”

Some of the issues they have covered in the past include in-depth coverage of the relationship between coyotes and humans, consequences of mining, the values of United States citizens, vehicle-wildlife accidents, eastern United States forests and more.

“It is empowering to help people and make them understand the issues in our environment and the relationship between human society and the natural world,” Hawes-Davis said.

Hawes-Davis enjoys his job because he said he gets to know many interesting people. He said filming documentaries allows him to delve deeper into a story and present it more effectively than a typical news outlet.

“Film-making allows in-depth coverage on major important issues facing society today,” Hawes-Davis said.

Hawes-Davis and Carr work together to film, produce, direct, edit and present their many films.

The duo's film, Libby, Montana is set to air at 10 p.m. Aug. 28, nationwide on PBS. The film explores a small mining community in which hundreds of people have been exposed to asbestos. The Environmental Protection Agency calls the incident the worst case of community-wide exposure to a toxic substance in U.S. history.

The film marks Hawes-Davis and Carr's first national television broadcast in the United States.

“I hope everyone from Jefferson City tunes in to see it,” Hawes-Davis added.