For Chrispine Mutanuka and Henry Kapijimpanga, the decision to learn to kayak is an easy one: it’s a way to better their lives and provide for their families. “The river is like a ladder. People can climb it to make a better life for themselves.” —Mukuma Makaye, Porter, Zambezi River. As porters, Chrispine, Henry, and Mukuma Makaye carry the boats of visiting tourists in and out of the Zambezi Gorge, a roughly 30-minute hike that goes almost straight up. But soon, even this job—and their path upwards—could be gone, submerged under the reservoir of a controversial dam that threatens to take away their livelihood and vanish a globally renowned river. Near the River, a film by Darby McAdams, highlights those who stand to lose the most should the Batoka Gorge Hydroelectric scheme flood the rapids of the Zambezi River.