San Antonio-area audiences can see Deep in the Heart 2: Texas Rivers beginning Friday, with a filmmaker appearance scheduled at Santikos Palladium on September 26. Narrated by Ethan Hawke, the documentary follows the Rio Grande, Sabine and Neches rivers and the wildlife filmed along them during a three-year production.
Ben Masters wrote and directed the film, according to KSAT. It follows his 2022 documentary Deep in the Heart, narrated by Matthew McConaughey. Hawke is an Academy Award-nominated Native Texan, according to sanangelopac.org. The film’s website, as cited by KSAT, says the project pairs Texas wildlife with questions about water challenges as the state’s population grows.
Water is part of the film’s subject, alongside the animals and landscapes of the rivers. The Texas Water Development Board’s planning outlook and San Antonio’s separate water-supply system offer useful context for understanding how statewide and local water concerns differ.
How Texas water planning relates to the rivers
The Texas Water Development Board says its 2027 State Water Plan draws on 16 regional plans and assesses water needs from 2030 through 2080 under a repeat of the drought of record. That is a planning scenario, not a measurement of current shortages; the plan’s stated horizon extends through 2080, rather than providing a single present-day shortage figure. San Antonio’s system is distinct from the rivers in the documentary: San Antonio Water System says its portfolio includes 15 projects drawing on nine sources, including supplies beyond the Edwards Aquifer.
A 2011 account in Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine described the Senate Bill 3 environmental-flows process as basin-specific, beginning with the Sabine/Neches and Trinity/San Jacinto basins. That historical account describes how the process was designed; it does not establish current conditions or document its application in the Rio Grande basin. Separately, Inside Climate News reported that, as of May 20, 2024, U.S. ownership of water at Falcon and Amistad reservoirs was 20.1 percent of normal conservation capacity amid a U.S.-Mexico treaty dispute. That South Texas issue is distinct from San Antonio’s water supply and from statewide planning projections.
Three Years Chasing Otters, Turtles and Turkeys
Getting the footage took time. The filmmaking team spent three years on cinematography, capturing Texas wildlife and waterways. Masters said the film was edited into 80 minutes, according to BroadwayWorld.
The film features river otters, mountain lions, snapping turtles and other wildlife, according to the Santikos listing. A description from sanangelopac.org also notes footage from springs, creeks and bays, including turkeys and Alligator Snapping Turtles. Masters has expressed interest in films with real-world conservation impacts.
Behind the Camera
Josh Winkler produced the documentary and Sam Klatt edited it, according to BroadwayWorld. The film was made in association with H-E-B and Texan by Nature, the outlet reported.
Where to See It in San Antonio
KSAT reports that scheduled San Antonio-area venues include EVO Schertz in Schertz, Regal Live Oak 18 in Live Oak, Santikos Embassy, Santikos Casa Blanca 16, City Base Cinemas, Flix Brewhouse San Antonio and Santikos Palladium. Filmmakers are scheduled to attend a September 26 screening at Santikos Palladium, offering local audiences an opportunity to hear from the team.
The sequel returns to the documentary format of Deep in the Heart, but focuses this time on rivers, wildlife and water. Its San Antonio release also brings the filmmakers to a local screening, where audiences can engage with the people behind the project.
