One Water (documentary)
Encyclopedia
One Water is a documentary film
directed by Sanjeev Chatterjee and Ali Habashi. The film premiered at the 2008 Miami International Film Festival
on 22 February 2008.
between the School of Communication, College of Engineering and the Frost School of Music to address the global freshwater crisis
. At the heart of the project was the motion picture "One Water."
An early short version of the picture was screened at the 12th and 13th sessions of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development
in New York. A feature version was completed in 2008 and premiered at the Miami International Film Festival. The 68-minute movie was shot in 14 countries and features long tracts of visual storytelling over music and natural sound without words, interspersed with interviews with prominent people, including the Dalai Lama
, Vandana Shiva
, Robert Kennedy Jr
., Felipe Fernández-Armesto
and Oscar Olivera
- among others. Donna E. Shalala, president of the University of Miami
also appears in the film as narrator.
The original score for "One Water" was recorded in Moscow by the Russian National Orchestra
.
In 2006, "One Water" received major support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
as part of its establishment of the Knight Center for International Media at the School of Communication, University of Miami.
The central idea behind the project was the making of a documentary that would spark the creation of further media on the subject of water around the world.
Toward this goal, a partnership with San Francisco based Independent Television Service (ITVS) would create four nationally broadcast films on water in four countries (Bahrain, Colombia, India and South Africa). These films will be broadcast in these countries around World Water Day
(22 March 2009). This partnership has also launched the International Water Journalism website 1h2o.org that is receiving water related multimedia articles produced by journalists around the world.
In early 2009, an international television version of the film was created with a script written by Sanjeev Chatterjee and narrated by Hollywood star Martin Sheen
Sheen was brought to the project by executive producer, Sam L Grogg who formerly collaborated with Sheen on the theatrical motion picture DA. This version of the documentary will air on Discovery Networks Planet Green in August of 2010.
report stated that "there is enough water for everyone", but that access to it is hampered by mismanagement and corruption.
The UN World Water Development Report
(WWDR, 2003) from the World Water Assessment Program indicates that, in the next 20 years, the quantity of water available to everyone is predicted to decrease by 30 percent. 40 percent of the world's inhabitants currently have insufficient fresh water for minimal hygiene
. More than 2.2 million people died in 2000 from waterborne diseases
(related to the consumption of contaminated water) or drought
. In 2004, the UK charity WaterAid
reported that a child dies every 15 seconds from easily preventable water-related diseases.
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
directed by Sanjeev Chatterjee and Ali Habashi. The film premiered at the 2008 Miami International Film Festival
Miami International Film Festival
The Miami International Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Miami, Florida in the late winter. The film festival is sponsored by the Miami Film Society, which has been around since 1983....
on 22 February 2008.
Film
One Water is a collaborative project initiated in 2003 at the University of MiamiUniversity of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
between the School of Communication, College of Engineering and the Frost School of Music to address the global freshwater crisis
Water crisis
Water crisis is a general term used to describe a situation where the available water within a region is less than the region's demand. The term has been used to describe the availability of potable water in a variety of regions by the United Nations and other world organizations...
. At the heart of the project was the motion picture "One Water."
An early short version of the picture was screened at the 12th and 13th sessions of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development
Commission on Sustainable Development
The United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development was established in December 1992 by General Assembly Resolution as a functional commission of the UN Economic and Social Council, implementing a recommendation in of Agenda 21, the landmark global agreement reached at the June 1992 United...
in New York. A feature version was completed in 2008 and premiered at the Miami International Film Festival. The 68-minute movie was shot in 14 countries and features long tracts of visual storytelling over music and natural sound without words, interspersed with interviews with prominent people, including the Dalai Lama
14th Dalai Lama
The 14th Dalai Lama is the 14th and current Dalai Lama. Dalai Lamas are the most influential figures in the Gelugpa lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, although the 14th has consolidated control over the other lineages in recent years...
, Vandana Shiva
Vandana Shiva
Vandana Shiva , is a philosopher, environmental activist, and eco feminist. Shiva, currently based in Delhi, has authored more than 20 books and over 500 papers in leading scientific and technical journals. She was trained as a physicist and received her Ph.D...
, Robert Kennedy Jr
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
Robert Francis Kennedy, Jr. is an American radio host, activist, and attorney specializing in environmental law. He is the third of eleven children born to Ethel Skakel Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy and is the nephew of John F. Kennedy and Edward M. Kennedy...
., Felipe Fernández-Armesto
Felipe Fernández-Armesto
Felipe Fernández-Armesto is a British historian and author of several popular works of history.He was born in London, his father was the Spanish journalist Felipe Fernández Armesto and his mother was Betty Millan de Fernandez-Armesto, a British-born journalist and co-founder and editor of The...
and Oscar Olivera
Oscar Olivera
Oscar Olivera Foronda was one of the main leaders of the protesters against the water privatization in Bolivia. The result of these protests was an event known as the Cochabamba Water Wars. Now he is one the main leaders of the protests in the Bolivian gas conflict.Oscar Olivera was awarded the...
- among others. Donna E. Shalala, president of the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
also appears in the film as narrator.
The original score for "One Water" was recorded in Moscow by the Russian National Orchestra
Russian National Orchestra
The Russian National Orchestra premiered in Moscow in 1990.It was the first Russian orchestra to perform at the Apostolic Palace, Vatican and in Israel....
.
In 2006, "One Water" received major support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation is an American private, non-profit foundation dedicated to supporting transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster the arts....
as part of its establishment of the Knight Center for International Media at the School of Communication, University of Miami.
The central idea behind the project was the making of a documentary that would spark the creation of further media on the subject of water around the world.
Toward this goal, a partnership with San Francisco based Independent Television Service (ITVS) would create four nationally broadcast films on water in four countries (Bahrain, Colombia, India and South Africa). These films will be broadcast in these countries around World Water Day
World Day for Water
'World Water Day' has been observed on March 22 since 1993 when the United Nations General Assembly declared March 22 as World Day for Water....
(22 March 2009). This partnership has also launched the International Water Journalism website 1h2o.org that is receiving water related multimedia articles produced by journalists around the world.
In early 2009, an international television version of the film was created with a script written by Sanjeev Chatterjee and narrated by Hollywood star Martin Sheen
Martin Sheen
Ramón Gerardo Antonio Estévez , better known by his stage name Martin Sheen, is an American film actor best known for his performances in the films Badlands and Apocalypse Now , and in the television series The West Wing from 1999 to 2006.He is considered one of the best actors never to be...
Sheen was brought to the project by executive producer, Sam L Grogg who formerly collaborated with Sheen on the theatrical motion picture DA. This version of the documentary will air on Discovery Networks Planet Green in August of 2010.
Theme
The documentary One Water assesses the deficiency of potable, safe water on a global scale. The movie highlights how communities across the world are dramatically suffering from a lack of our most valuable resource, thanks to drought, pollution and other factors. It becomes apparent that although this issue demands an immediate, workable solution, the problem is not easily resolved. The filmmakers also discuss the vitality of water on parallel spiritual and physical levels.Water crisis
A 2006 United NationsUnited Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
report stated that "there is enough water for everyone", but that access to it is hampered by mismanagement and corruption.
The UN World Water Development Report
UN World Water Development Report
The United Nations World Water Development Report is a global report that provides an authoritative, comprehensive assessment of the world’s freshwater resources...
(WWDR, 2003) from the World Water Assessment Program indicates that, in the next 20 years, the quantity of water available to everyone is predicted to decrease by 30 percent. 40 percent of the world's inhabitants currently have insufficient fresh water for minimal hygiene
Hygiene
Hygiene refers to the set of practices perceived by a community to be associated with the preservation of health and healthy living. While in modern medical sciences there is a set of standards of hygiene recommended for different situations, what is considered hygienic or not can vary between...
. More than 2.2 million people died in 2000 from waterborne diseases
Waterborne diseases
Waterborne diseases are caused by pathogenic microorganisms which are directly transmitted when contaminated fresh water is consumed. Contaminated fresh water, used in the preparation of food, can be the source of foodborne disease through consumption of the same microorganisms...
(related to the consumption of contaminated water) or drought
Drought
A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...
. In 2004, the UK charity WaterAid
WaterAid
WaterAid is an international non-profit organisation set up as a response to the UN International Drinking Water & Sanitation decade . WaterAid is dedicated to helping people escape the poverty and disease caused by living without safe water and sanitation. It is based in London, England and was...
reported that a child dies every 15 seconds from easily preventable water-related diseases.
Awards
- Winner, Best of Festival, Columbus International Film and Video Festival, 2009.
- Winner, Best Cinematography Award and Winner, Honorable Mention, Documentary Feature, Fargo Film Festival, 2009.
- Short listed for Awards Jury at 7th Annual Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival, Nevada City, CA, Jan. 10, 2009.
- Winner, Best Documentary at Foyle Film Festival, The Northern Ireland International Film Festival, 2008, Derry, United Kingdom.
- Winner of Best Feature Environmental Preservation 5th Annual Artivist Film Festival & AwardsArtivist Film Festival & AwardsThe Artivist Film Festival & Awards is an international film festival and awards ceremony dedicated to recognizing activist efforts of filmmakers, specifically in the areas of human rights, child advocacy, environmental preservation, and animal rights....
, 2008, Los Angeles, CA - Winner, Best Film on Sustainable Development at Festival Cinemambiente 2008, Turin, Italy.
- Winner, Honorable Mention Inspirational Excellence Award, Documentary Competition, at Bayou City Inspiration Film Festival, 2008, Houston, Texas.
- Winner of the AMAP Prize, EcoVision Film Festival, 2007 Palermo, Italy.
- Official Program Selection, Agua i Cine, 4th World Water ForumWorld Water ForumEvery three years the World Water Council organizes a World Water Forum in close collaboration with the authorities of the host country. The World Water Forum is the largest international event in the field of water—over 30,000 participants from more than 190 countries attended the last...
, 2006, Mexico City, Mexico (22 min version) - Winner of Documentary Award of Excellence and Best of Competition in Technical Merit Broadcast Education Association, Festival of Media Arts, 2004 (22 min version)
Other Selected Screenings
- INFOBAE - IV Pan-American Internet Communication Encounter, 9 December 2008, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival, October 15 - 11 November 2008, Fort Lauderdale, FL.
- Vancouver International Film FestivalVancouver International Film FestivalThe Vancouver International Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada for two weeks in late September and early October...
, September 25 - 10 October 2008, Vancouver, BC, Canada. - Highway Africa Conference, Rhodes University, September 2008, Grahamstown, South Africa.
- Salzburg Academy for Media and Global Change, August 2008, Salzburg, Austria.
- International Forum of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) Organic World Congress, June 18 - 20, 2008, Modena, Italy.
- Expo Zaragoza, June 14 - 14 September 2008, Zaragoza, Spain.
- Miami International Film Festival, 22 February 2008, Miami, FL.
See also
- 1998 Klang Valley water crisis1998 Klang Valley water crisisThe 1998 Klang Valley water crisis occurred in Malaysia in February 1998 when the three reservoir dams in Klang Valley, Klang Gates Dam, Batu Dam and Semenyih Dam suffered a substantial drop in water level following the El Niño phenomenon...
- China water crisisChina water crisisThe Chinese water crisis threatens the stability and prosperity not only in People's Republic of China but globally as well, according to John McAlister from the film Aquabiotronics. According to the World Bank forecast, Mainland China has only a per-capita share of 2700 cubic meters per annum,...
- California Water WarsCalifornia Water WarsThe California Water Wars were a series of conflicts between the city of Los Angeles, farmers and ranchers in the Owens Valley of Eastern California, and environmentalists. As Los Angeles grew in the late 1800s, it started to outgrow its water supply. Fred Eaton, mayor of Los Angeles, realized that...
- Nature documentaryNature documentaryA natural history film or wildlife film is a documentary film about animals, plants, or other non-human living creatures, usually concentrating on film taken in their natural habitat...
- Political cinemaPolitical cinemaPolitical cinema in the narrow sense of the term is a cinema which portrays current or historical events or social conditions in a partisan way in order to inform or to agitate the spectator...