Filmmaking has been on my mind lately. Maybe that isn’t a surprise, given that I produce documentaries for Water Hub (and for myself and my friends). But what has been surprising is how much we’ve seen this kind of storytelling show up in the water movement lately.
In just the last month or so, we saw the release of three new water-related documentary film projects:
- “Riverkeeper,” a feature film following veteran riverkeeper Dr. Jackie Echols and the latest chapter in her longstanding fight against environmental racism: the development of Cop City in Atlanta. (trailer, website)
- “The Fight for Progress,” a deep dive into the complex subject of lead service line replacement in Wisconsin. (trailer, short video, full video)
- “Women Water Warriors” a series celebrating women working to further water justice across the United States and Mexico. (trailer, full series)
I love that there are so many doc projects coming to life right now. It’s a powerful form of storytelling that, at its best, brings heady social issues down to the human level, where nuance and emotions live. And it has the potential to move audiences, to spur them to take action, and make an impact – even if small.
That’s the goal in the doc filmmaking work I do for Water Hub, anyway. We’re cooking up new projects all the time. Stay tuned for the release of our next film next month! In the meantime, we’ve got a few short docs up on our YouTube channel.
New Podcast Alert
Our friends at A2 (Anthropocene Alliance) launched a new podcast! “In Times Like These” brings listeners into water stories too often overlooked and highlights how communities are organizing, resisting, and winning. Check out the trailer and the first episode.
Current-ly
Conference season has kept us busy. Zakiyaa Taylor and Sussan Garcia recently traveled to DC for a convening hosted by Vessel Collective to talk about narrative.
Water we reading
Adam Mahoney’s incredible story for Capital B dives deep into one city’s decades-long sewage crisis and how residents have taken water testing into their own hands.
Making waves
The Water Equity and Climate Resilience Caucus worked with Rep. Rashida Tlaib and Rep. Debbie Dingle to propose a permanent federal water assistance program.
What’s next?
Sign up for our Water Cooler newsletter to hear about our trainings and resources and follow us on LinkedIn, Bluesky, Instagram, and YouTube.
