Out There: A National Parks Story (exclusive film screening)

The 21st Annual Rita Vital Memorial Moccasin Bend Fall Lecture Series concludes on Monday, October 19 at 7:00 pm in the Tennessee Aquarium River Journey Auditorium.

Out There: A National Parks
Exclusive screening of a film by independent filmmaker, Brendan Hall

In the centennial year of the U.S. National Park Service, a young filmmaker and his childhood friend set off on a 10,000-mile journey through America’s national parks, leaving home with little more than a camera and a desire to understand what draws people to these wild places. What begins as a summer road trip evolves into a stunning journey of discovery, uncovering the stories of those who protect, visit, and find meaning in the parks.

Along the way, they meet rangers, conservationists, and everyday visitors whose lives have been shaped by these places. Through intimate interviews, sweeping cinematography, and a moving original score, Out There weaves their stories into a portrait of the national parks as more than extraordinary landscapes, but as places of healing, reflection, resilience, and connection across generations and cultures.

Both a cinematic tribute and a grassroots love letter to America’s public lands, Out There explores what it means to find belonging in the natural world, and the enduring power of these shared places to bring us closer to the land, to one another, and to ourselves.