Foreign Policy Blogs

FLOW: For Love of Water (2008)

This documentary is scary.
It deals with the issue of water, who owns it and who controls it in different parts of the world.
Should water be considered public for everyone to enjoy, like air? Or should it be held in private hands, like oil?
It is obvious where Irena Salina, the film’s director, stands: she believes water is a shared resource that should first and foremost serve the public.

[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/LGd9D4J0lag" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]
Salina takes the viewer to Latin American and African countries to show the disparity between the haves and the have-nots. She shows places where as many as 10 percent of children die due to waterborne illnesses.
There is even an interview with a chicken farmer who, once he uses potable water to feed his chickens, is able to stop supplementing their food with medication to offset the effects of contaminated water.
“FLOW” also shows how profitable the water business is, particularly in the advanced industrial countries.
The irony is that bottled water is not as closely inspected as tap water is. However, because it comes in a sealed clear bottle, the water appears to be more beneficial to the consumer than tap water.

forloveofwater2008f91bf

As mentioned, it is clear where Salina stands, and she does a fine job of showing the water corporate executives as fundamentally evil beings consumed with greed.
At the film’s end, the director spends a little time with people organizing around the globe to bring about safe water for all people. While encouraging, that part of the film is too short and should have been given more air time.
“FLOW: For Love of Water,” which runs 93 minutes, is available on DVD.

Murphy can be reached at [email protected]

 

Author

Sean Patrick Murphy

Sean Patrick Murphy is a graduate of Bennington College, where he majored in politics and Latin American literature. He has worked for Current History magazine, Physicians for Human Rights, and Citizens for Global Solutions (formerly the World Federalist Association). He lives outside Philadelphia.

Areas of Focus:
Cinematography; Independent Films; Documentary;

Contact