(1 x 80 / 1 x 60)
CANADA | COLOR | 5.1 SURROUND
©2010 LizMars Productions Inc.
Water on the Table
Is water a commercial good like Coca-Cola, or a human right like air?
Featuring best-selling author, activist and public figure Maude Barlow and her mission to have water declared a human right, protected from privatization, Water On The Table explores Canada’s relationship to its freshwater, arguably its most precious natural resource. The film follows Barlow over the course of a year as she leads an unrelenting schedule as the U.N. Senior Advisor on Water to Father Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann, President of the 63rd Session of the United Nations.
Barlow is a ferociously committed, politically savvy, world-renowned human rights activist and author, often referred to as ‘the Ralph Nader of Canada.’…A very well-made and engaging documentary. Recommended.
University of California Berkeley
Director Marshall delivers a great portrait, while also giving voice to the many counter-arguments, for a balanced but ultimately persuasive plea for Barlow’s case that potable water be included as a human right.
EYE Magazine
A documentary that’s pointed but visually sumptuous and poetic.
The Globe and Mail
This is an important film, beautifully constructed, seriously examining the values we put on water.
Great Lakes WATER Institute
Written & Directed by Liz Marshall
Produced by Liz Marshall
Co-Produced by Susan McGrath
Edited by Jeremiah Munce
Cinematography by Steve Cosens
Additional Cinematography by Liz Marshall, John Price
Music Score by Jennifer Moore, Mark Shannon
Supervising Sound Editor Garrett Kerr
Supervising Re-Recording Mixer Daniel Pellerin
Location Sound Recordist Jason Milligan
DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT
My journey began in 2003 when I read Blue Gold: The Battle Against the Corporate Theft of the World’s Water, Maude Barlow’s first book about the global water crisis. Fast forward to 2007, when I set forth tenaciously to make my first feature-length documentary film that would intimately centre Maude Barlow’s unwavering focus and inspired determination to have water declared a human right. While exploring Canada’s water from both a celebratory and political perspective, it was important to illustrate the dramatic tensions that exist in the struggle to protect water from privatization. Water On The Table presents a nail-biting thesis of strong opposing views to Maude’s vision, from policy makers and business specialists in Canada and the U.S.
PRODUCED IN ASSOCIATION WITH
TVO for The View From Here
PRODUCED WITH
the participation of the Knowledge Network, the Canada Media Fund, the Canwest Shaw Media Fund, Ontario Arts Council, and the Rogers Documentary Fund
DISTRIBUTION
Kinosmith; BullFrog Films; McNabb and Connolly; Canada’s documentary channel