SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – 72 Miles, a documentary about the nonprofit Clean Up The Lake and their underwater work on keeping Tahoe clean, will premiere at the Lake Tahoe Documentary Film Festival on Sunday, April 18, at 12:45 p.m. It will be shown at Margaritaville, 4130 Lake Tahoe Blvd, South Lake Tahoe, Calif.
The Lake Tahoe Documentary Film Festival brings together filmmakers, storytellers, and audiences to showcase impactful, real world stories. Set in the heart of South Lake Tahoe, the festival highlights films centered on environmental issues, human resilience, and global exploration, creating space for connection and conversation within the community.
About the Film
72 Miles is a feature documentary filmed in 2022 that follows a Sierra Nevada-based dive team on their mission to protect our freshwater lakes. Their biggest challenge: completing the first full 72-mile underwater cleanup of Lake Tahoe’s shoreline.
What began as an ambitious idea quickly became a test of endurance and scale. Moving mile by mile, the team worked through frozen shorelines, record-breaking snowfall, and wildfire evacuations while conducting physically demanding dives in cold, high-elevation conditions.
Over the course of the project, more than 25,000 pounds of submerged litter and debris were removed from the lakebed, revealing a side of Lake Tahoe that few ever see.
The film captures both the magnitude of the problem and the persistence required to confront it. It is a story about pushing limits, protecting what cannot speak for itself, and proving that a small, dedicated team can create measurable impact.
At its core, 72 Miles shines a light on a growing issue that extends far beyond Tahoe, showing how even the most pristine freshwater lakes are not immune to pollution.