It might be the most abundant resource on the planet, but that doesn’t mean it’s the most accessible.
Throughout the muckraking documentary Whose Water?, filmmaker Kate Levy hammers home that idea by criss crossing the United States to showcase community after community where access to clean water is far from a basic right. And for some, it’s a battle.
Like most battles fought on capitalistic turf, this 2024 documentary illustrates that it’s time and again the less fortunate - and often the BIPOC populations of the most prosperous country in the world - who are the ones playing the role of David against Goliath.
Whether it’s in Detroit, Philadelphia, Iowa, Kentucky, Alabama, or the Navajo Nation of the southwest, Levy utilizes handheld footage and intimate, first-person accounts to underscore a variety of water issues in the United States, ranging from astronomical water bills as a result of short-sided government decisions in the Motor City, to contaminated water supplies resulting from profiteering mining companies in Kentucky.
Mixing the first-person accounts with easy-to-digest graphics, plus staggering statistics pepper throughout, Whose Water? uses its 65 minute run time to present a detailed story around each of the numerous clean water issues it showcases. An example of this is the film’s ability to trace these issues to previous pages from history, which coincidentally involve many of America's greatest sins like slavery, and the unfair treatment of Native Americans.
Utilizing footage from 2015 and 2016, this educational documentary begins by highlighting two separate, but similar water issues in different cities. It does this by presenting a juxtaposition of scenarios, first showcasing residents of Detroit dealing with unaffordable water bills, and then showing residents of Philadelphia dealing with a similar issue, albeit one that is mitigated due to an affordability program that allows citizens to pay for utilities based on income.
After that, though, the film presents the issue of accessing clean water as one sided, reporting primarily from the point of view of those on the most damaging side of the situations, leaving little room to report on or provide commentary from government representatives, or stakeholders from the company’s that are responsible for some of the water issues.
Regardless, Whose Water? is a well crafted, structured documentary that will open the eyes of viewers, and creates a compelling and powerful enough case to even spark some to want to take action. Perhaps most importantly, this 3.5-out-of-5 star educational documentary shoulders a journalistic responsibility that is required for democratic societies to function and for that alone it's worth a place as a library resource, or as part of a library collection.
For those interested in viewing Whose Water?, it’s available digitally and can be purchased by visiting this link.
Learn more about Whose Water? by clicking here
How can Whose Water? be integrated into public libraries' collection development?
Whose Water? would be an excellent addition to public library collections, particularly in areas with a focus on environmental justice, social issues, and the rights of marginalized communities. Its exploration of clean water access across different communities in the United States would offer an impactful resource for patrons looking to engage with pressing environmental and socio-economic issues. Libraries can also use the documentary to spark discussions or create educational programs aimed at raising awareness about water inequality and the need for action.
What college courses and majors could benefit from using Whose Water?
Whose Water? could be an invaluable resource for a wide range of college courses, including Environmental Studies, Sociology, Public Policy, Urban Studies, and History. The documentary’s examination of systemic inequality, government policies, and the impact of capitalism on natural resources makes it a fitting supplementary material for courses exploring environmental justice, social activism, and the intersection of race and class in America. It would also be relevant in Political Science and Media Studies courses focused on documentary filmmaking and journalism.
How could Parks and Recreation programs use Whose Water in their educational initiatives?
Parks and Recreation programs could use Whose Water? to raise awareness about environmental issues, particularly those related to water access and conservation, within their communities. The documentary could be incorporated into local environmental education campaigns, engaging citizens in discussions about sustainable water use, public policy, and community advocacy. It would also serve as a tool for community outreach, where local programs can organize screenings, followed by workshops or Q&A sessions to promote active engagement with the issue.
What are the Public Performance Rights (PPR) considerations for screening Whose Water?
For public screenings of Whose Water?, securing Public Performance Rights (PPR) would be essential. Libraries, educational institutions, or community organizations wishing to screen the documentary in public spaces or events will need to purchase these rights. Depending on the venue or intended audience, organizations might also need to consider licensing the film for special screenings at festivals, environmental conferences, or educational forums. Securing the PPR ensures that the film can be used effectively for outreach and public education.
How could Whose Water? enhance special events on college campuses?
Whose Water? would be a powerful addition to special events on college campuses, particularly during sustainability weeks, environmental awareness months, or social justice events. The documentary could serve as a central piece for panels, discussions, or guest speaker events that delve into issues of inequality, race, and the environmental crisis. College students could be encouraged to reflect on the broader implications of water access and how they can become part of the solution through advocacy, policy change, or community organizing.
Why is Whose Water? a strong candidate for movie licensing?
Whose Water? is a strong candidate for movie licensing due to its high educational value, compelling narrative, and relevance to contemporary social issues. The documentary’s focus on water inequality, its impact on marginalized communities, and its ability to engage audiences with thought-provoking questions about public policy and environmental justice make it an essential resource for educational institutions, libraries, and organizations committed to promoting awareness of these critical issues. Movie licensing would allow these groups to use the documentary in classrooms, public screenings, and community-based programs, extending its impact to a wider audience.
What are the pricing options for streaming Whose Water? for different durations and audiences?
1 year streaming: $150; 3 year streaming: $350; corporate streaming: $500; 14-day streaming: $75; Life of file: $500 or available through Kanopy.
Is the director or subjects featured in the film available for screenings and/or panels?
Yes, please reach out through the Whose Water website: www.whosewater.com
Can my community group or non-profit host a screening?
Yes! Fees are negotiable on a sliding scale
Director's Bio
Kate Levy (b. 1984, Royal Oak, Michigan) is a filmmaker and multimedia artist. Drawing on investigative and historical research and collaborations with community organizers, her films and installations interrogate power structures, and reclaim cultural narratives deployed by these systems. She has worked on projects related to water, education, police violence, immigration and environmental and economic justice. Kate has exhibited her award-winning film, photography and installation work at film festivals, galleries and museums internationally. In 2015, her work with the ACLU of Michigan helped expose the Flint Water Crisis. She is a 2017 Patagonia Works grant recipient for her feature film about water access across the US and a 2018 MacDowell fellow. From 2019-2021, Kate served as the Co-Director of the Youth Documentary Workshop at Educational Video Center in New York City. In 2022, Kate’s film Detroit Will Breathe, helped protesters win a $1.3 million settlement from the city of Detroit, and was awarded Best Short Film from the Whistleblower Film Festival in Washington DC and the Shine A Light Award from the Detroit Free Press Film Festival. From 2023-2024, she was the Stuart B. and Barbara Padnos Distinguished Artist-In-Residence at Grand Valley State University. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Practice at Drew University in Madison, New Jersey.
Director's Statement
I grew up splitting my time between the shores of Lake Huron and metro-Detroit, so I feel an existential duty to protect water and understand our relationship with it. Growing up in Metro Detroit, one of the country’s most segregated regions based on class and race, I saw how narratives about communities influence policies directed against them.
In 2013, I first began making films about water when I traveled to Kenya to create a resource for a Maasai community attempting to regain access to their ancestral water sources amidst accusations that they were not “responsible” enough to steward this resource. In 2014, I began working with community organizers to create films to be used as organizing tools that documented the tragic effects and bold resistance to the short-sighted policy of mass water shutoffs for nonpayment. In this work, produced in a sustained yet rapid manner, it was important to counter narratives that blamed Black Detroiters for their own circumstances.
In 2015, I worked with the ACLU to help bring to light the lead contamination of Flint’s water, supporting activists attempting to get their message out in a media climate where nobody was talking about the crisis. In 2017, Michigan activists convened a gathering of communities across the country to share their unique but all too common experiences fighting for access to water. A
t this gathering, it became clear to Michiganders that Detroit’s water shutoffs and Flint’s lead crisis were not isolated instances. I teamed up with the People’s Water Board Coalition in Detroit to foreground a widespread water crisis manifesting in many ways across the US, and the need for national human right to water legislation. In my previous work on water, I had experienced the power of communities when they have access to narrative-shifting tools, and learned from the deep knowledge of activists.
Thus, for Whose Water?, I worked closely with communities to understand the cultural context of their work--staying in their homes, developing relationships prior to, during and after filming, understanding how their communities have been represented compared to how they would like to represent their communities, co-writing narration, hosting multiple feedback sessions and funding the contributions of local musicians.
Having witnessed the media storm around Flint, I learned that in this film it was important to go in depth in understanding the multifaceted, unique root causes behind each community’s struggle, while avoiding sensationalizing the issue, as well as to draw common connections between these places.
Accolades
Superb portrayal of the power structures that are destroying our water."
- Betsy Taylor Author, Recovering the Commons: Democracy, Place and Global Justice
How powerful it is to let people tell their own stories. How moving and motivating."
- Josie Pickens Chief DEI Officer, City of Philadelphia
Clear...Moving..Reveals What's usually invisible. A must see for anybody who drinks water"
- Rachel Haverlock Freshwater Lab, University of Illinois
Whose Water? reframes water crises through the insight of local communities—those who do not pray to broken governments or billionaires to fix the crisis. It is the local perspective, the specifics of these community’s deep knowledge and strategic activism that is so powerful and useful. The voices of the people who are dying of thirst teach the rest of us who are not yet. The film clearly connects the big systemic dots without losing hope. Whose Water is brilliant, energizing, and it awakens a sense of where power actually lies if we can collectivize it."
- Mary Poole, Professor of History, Prescott College