La Source

Don Cheadle narrates this inspirational documentary that focuses on a plan to bring running water to the titular poverty-stricken Haitian village. Josue Lajeunesse, a single father who has worked as a maintenance technician at Princeton University for 16 years, drives a cab at night in order to support his four children, sending money to the family in La Source. For Josue's relatives, traditional water collection is a treacherous business, since the mountain path is long and narrow, and the nearby river is contaminated. Josue and his brother, Chrismedonne, have been trying to solve this problem for years, but political roadblocks and other obstacles have foiled their plans. Director Patrick Shen divides his time between Josue and Chrismedonne, the latter a bricklayer with seven children. Along with a lack of running water, the citizens of La Source also must make do without electricity and medical care. The situation worsens after the 2010 earthquake, as cholera spreads, but when a story about Josue runs on the Princeton website, students rally to help, donating time, sharing connections, and engaging in fundraising efforts. Josue travels to Haiti to assess the situation, accompanied by student and producer Jordan Wagner, and David Darg, an NGO representative. Once the trio have a blueprint in hand, they enlist the townspeople to provide the physical labor, and a long deferred dream starts to become a reality. A stirring story of a small group of people working together to make meaningful change, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy)