Water Is Life: The Struggle For Mother Water Explores Our Precious Resource Facing Global Challenges at Berlinale Series Market

In 2010, the United Nations adopted a resolution declaring access to clean water a fundamental human right, a declaration underscored by alarming realities. “More than 2 billion people don’t have access to clean, safe drinking water,” filmmaker Michael Zelniker observes, adding that nearly 4 billion lack reliable sanitation.

Zelniker’s documentary series, The Struggle for Mother Water, sheds light on this pressing issue. Recently selected for the Berlinale Series Market as one of only three nonfiction series, it joins notable works like The American Revolution by Ken Burns and Gerçek Şamanın İzinde by Talha Berkay Baş.

For nearly a year, Zelniker traveled extensively to highlight the challenges many face in securing potable water, particularly in remote areas. In the Choriso District of South Ethiopia, he found residents drawing water from a polluted stream. “We’re collecting this water because this is all there is,” one local woman stated. “We have no choice. Due to lack of clean water, we have been forced to fetch, to use, to drink this dirty, contaminated water.”

In Darjeeling, West Bengal, India, the situation is similarly dire, with refuse obstructing a drinking water source. “During heavy rain, a lot of filth gets into this source… We’re uncertain of the quality of this water but we’re still forced to drink it,” a man explained. The absence of reliable electricity makes boiling water impractical, leading to countless deaths from waterborne diseases, especially among children.

The crisis extends beyond developing countries. In the Fort McKay First Nation of Northern Alberta, Canada, Zelniker speaks with environmentalist Jean L’hommecourt about the pollution of the Athabasca River due to tar sands oil refining. A report from The Contrapuntal highlighted the contamination of groundwater with toxic substances that adversely affect Indigenous communities reliant on the river.

“It’s a crime against the environment. It’s an environmental crime,” L’hommecourt remarked, expressing anger at the marginalization of First Nations in their own territories.

The series explores various factors contributing to the global water crisis, including climate change, industrial pollution, and inadequate sanitation. It also delves into the commodification of water, which generates significant profits for large corporations while exacerbating shortages for ordinary people.

In the Vosges region of Northeastern France, local communities face similar struggles as Nestlé bottles water from the area. “Industrialists are plundering the water,” one resident lamented. “There is a lack of water here, and it shows everywhere.”

In San Bernardino, California, the series reveals that BlueTriton/Primo Brands extracts water from sources vital for agriculture and drinking, selling it back for substantial profits. “They’re extracting water for almost no money — maybe a quarter-a-cent a gallon — and then selling it back to us for a huge, huge profit,” Zelniker noted.

World Water Day, observed on March 22, serves as a reminder of the inequities linked to the water crisis. According to the UN, in 53 countries with available data, women and girls spend a staggering 250 million hours daily on water collection, over three times more than men. “The global water crisis affects everyone – but not equally,” the UN asserts, emphasizing that women and girls often bear the greatest burdens.

Zelniker recognized the gender dimension in his documentary, stating, “Primarily, it is women who are leading the fight to protect and defend water all over the world,” highlighting their predominant representation in the film.

As a filmmaker committed to environmental issues, Zelniker has previously directed The Issue with Tissue – A Boreal Love Story and underwent Climate Reality Project training with former Vice President Al Gore. His response to political actions undermining environmental regulations was pointed: “What are you going to say to your children and grandchildren when they come to you and ask, what were you thinking?”

He views the Berlinale Series Market invitation as a validation of his work’s significance, noting, “This is encouraging because sometimes with subjects like this, we do find that people prefer to look the other way.”

Zelniker expressed hope that major broadcasters and streaming platforms will embrace the crucial message of his documentary, echoing James Baldwin’s sentiment: “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”