Water Docs International Film Festival Publicity Summary

Page 1

Water Docs International Film Festival 2013 March 21 to 24 Publicity Summary


Interviews completed Monday March 18 Wednesday March 20 Thursday March 21 Saturday March 23

Outlet: Rabble.ca Interviewed: Stan Gibson Outlet: Notable.ca – Executive Reads Interviewed: Stan Gibson Outlet: SheDoesTheCity.com Interviewed: Grandmother Josephine Mandamin Outlet: Regent Radio -­‐ Frameline Interviewed: Bob Isenberger Outlet: Newstalk 1010 Interviewed: Aarti Shivastava (White Knight) and Jill Tidman (Watershed)

Screeners were sent to National Post Toronto Star The Globe and Mail Metro The Grid NOW Press + 1 Dorkshelf Toronto Film Scene Film Army Fairchild Radio

CBC Metro Morning Newstalk 1010 SheDoestheCity.com Criticize This! OMNI TV The Weekly Voice Torontoist South Asian Focus Frameline As well as number of key freelance writers


Live Radio interview with Directors Aarti Shrivastava (Water Knight) and Producer Jill Tidman (Watershed) on Saturday March 23 https://soundcloud.com/gatpr/newstalk1010-­‐water-­‐docs

Weekly roundup: Online projects, acquisitions and greenlights March 8, 2013 by Matt Sylvain http://playbackonline.ca/2013/03/08/friday-­‐roundup-­‐online-­‐projects-­‐acquisitions-­‐and-­‐ greenlights/#ixzz2PwIQeZbC

Water Docs International Film Festival Mark Decena and James Redford’s Watershed and Montreal-­‐based Caroline Bâcle’s Lost Rivers are among the documentaries screening at the second annual Water Docs International Film Festival, a Toronto event focused on issues of water awareness. The screening of Decena and Redford’s Watershed will be a Canadian premiere. The festival is March 21-­‐ 24.

Live Radio interview with Bob Isenberger on Thursday March 22 https://soundcloud.com/barbara_frameline/frameline-­‐mar21-­‐2013-­‐ edited


“Watershed,” “Lost Rivers” set for Water Docs Fest http://realscreen.com/2013/03/07/watershed-­‐lost-­‐rivers-­‐set-­‐for-­‐water-­‐docs-­‐fest/#ixzz2OBM6TarI

By: Kevin Richie | March 7, 2013.

Mark Decena and James Redford’s Watershed and Caroline Bâcle’s Lost Rivers (pictured) are among the documentaries screening at the second annual Water Docs International Film Festival, a Toronto-­‐based event focused on issues of water awareness. Produced by water issues group Ecologos, this year’s line-­‐up includes 17 films such as Aarti Shrivastava’s White Knight, a look at impending shortages; Caroline Bâcle’s Lost Rivers, which focuses on rivers buried beneath London, Montreal and Toronto; Peter Jan van der Burgh and Tshering Gyeltshen’s 86 centimetres, about the glacial lakes threatening to flood villages in Bhutan; and the Canadian premiere of the Robert Redford-­‐narrated Watershed, directors Mark Decena and James Redford’s examination of environmental threats to the Colorado River. This year, the festival will also receive an inaugural blessing from Grandmother Josephine Mandamin, who has walked nearly 10,000 miles around the Great Lakes, praying for its water. The Water Docs International Film Festival takes place at Jackman Hall at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) from March 21-­‐24. Check out the full line-­‐up via the festival’s website. Tags: 86 Centimeters, Lost Rivers, Water Docs International Film Festival, Watershed, White Knight


Water Docs film fest quenches viewers’ thirst for, well, docs about water http://arts.nationalpost.com/2013/03/20/water-docs-filmfest-quenches-viewers-thirst-for-welldocs-about-water/ By: Chris Knight | 13/03/20 | Last Updated: 13/03/21 12:46 PM ET

Courtesy of Redford CenterWatershed, narrated by Robert Redford, explores the threats to the future of the Colorado River.

The second annual Water Docs International Film Festival begins on March 21, running to March 24, with screenings at Toronto’s Jackman Hall (317 Dundas St. W.). The 17-­‐film program opens with two short documentaries. White Knight tells of one man’s quest to create artificial glaciers in northern India; 86 Centimeters is about efforts to lower a mountain lake in Bhutan, to prevent flooding. Friday brings Lost Rivers (3.5 stars), Caroline Bâcle’s fascinating doc that recently played at the Bloor Cinema, and tells of attempts to uncover rivers that have been buried under urban development. There’s also Carpageddon, by Alex and Tyler Mifflin (a.k.a The Water Brothers), about the struggle to keep invasive Asian Carp out of the Great Lakes. The festival concludes on Sunday with the Canadian premiere of Watershed, narrated by Robert Redford (A River Runs Through It), about threats to the future of the Colorado River. More information at waterdocs.ca.


India’s Entry To Open Toronto Water Docs Festival http://www.weeklyvoice.com/community-­‐news/indias-­‐entry-­‐to-­‐open-­‐toronto-­‐water-­‐docs-­‐festival/

Toronto: The 2nd annual Water Docs International Film Festival is a unique event weaving the leading voices of water awareness with the expressive power of great filmmaking. Produced by the water issues group Ecologos, Water Docs this year will present 17 films, accompanied with director and guest speaker Q&As. All screenings will take place at Jackman Hall at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), 317 Dundas St., W., from March 21 – 24, 2013. There is a lot of buzz surrounding the entry from India, While Knight, directed by Aarti Shrivastava, and produced by Bollywood star Akshay Kumar, dealing one man’s efforts to create artificial glaciers in Ladakh, Northern India, where the actual drinking-­‐water-­‐supplying glaciers are receding at an alarming rate due to global warming. Ironically, climate change threatens to drown people in the stuff – as in Peter Jan van der Burgh and Tshering Gyeltshen’s 86 centimetres, which tells the story of Bhutan in the


Himalayas, where glacial lakes threaten to flood entire ecosystems and villages as the ice holding them back disappears. White Knight is the story of a fascinating and courageous man who changes Ladakh’s future through is preservation efforts. In this high altitude desert, melting glaciers have been the traditional source of fresh water. However due to global warming, glaciers are melting faster—and today in Ladakh fresh water has become more precious than oil. Chewang Norphel, a 78 year old engineer in Leh, has almost single-­‐handedly perfected the technology that is helping provide a solution to this ecological disaster— the creation of artificial glaciers. Aarti says, “The documentary talks about the receding glaciers and how it is affecting places like Ladakh and other like areas.” When asked about how the whole project came about, she replies, “I have been working on lot of these global issues. Akshay, who knew about it, had shared this idea with me. He thought that I will be able to do justice to the subject.” Speaking of Akshay as a producer, Aarti says, “He is a great producer and a humble human being who understands these issues. Documentaries like these become a means to make people aware of the situation that arises due to global warming.” Akshay said that Chewang is the only man in the world to create artificial glaciers. He also added that Chewang, who understands the importance of water in this region, has tried to tackle the challenge of global warming so much so that he has even dedicated his life to it. He has to his credit the merit of making 10 glaciers and dreams of reaching 100. Akshay, who is extremely pleased with the response of White Knight at the film festivals, strongly feels that ‘this documentary can become the basis for further action’. White Knight screening is set for March 21, 7pm. For tickets and info visit www.facebook.com/WaterDocs.

Canadian Film and Water Docs festivals this week http://rabble.ca/podcasts/shows/film-­‐festivals-­‐toronto/2013/03/canadian-­‐film-­‐and-­‐water-­‐docs-­‐ festivals-­‐week Artist: Matthew Adams Title: Can film fest and water docs Year: 2013 Genre: Podcast Length: 21:35 minutes (29.72 MB)


Water Docs International Film Festival http://www.thegridto.com/culture/film/water-docs-international-film-festival/

BY: LAUREN GROSBERG

A scene from the Robert Redford-­‐narrated Watershed.

March 21–24, at Jackman Hall, AGO.

Timed to coincide with World Water Day on March 22, the second annual Water Docs Film Festival arrives in Toronto with a 17-­‐film lineup of shorts and features designed to raise awareness of the consumption and conservation of H2O. The Robert Redford–narrated Watershed (March 24, 7 p.m.) dissects a variety of threats to the Colorado River. Flowing more than 2,000 kilometres from its source in the Rocky Mountains to the Gulf of California, the river’s water— notoriously dammed, diverted, and depleted—now rarely reaches the sea. The film profiles several people who are trying to change the region’s relationship with the waterway. These include a Los Angeles bike activist, a Navajo Nation council member, and a fly-­‐fishing guide from Colorado, who speaks at length about the senselessness of destroying natural environments (like the Colorado River) to create unnatural ones (like the Bellagio fountains in Las Vegas). With our a mari usque ad mare motto and land-­‐of-­‐lakes consciousness, we don’t often think of Canada as a nation teetering on the brink of a water war. Nicolas Boisclair and Alexis de Gheldere’s doc, Seeking The Current (March 24, 4 p.m.), proves otherwise. The directors discuss the history of Hydro Québec’s dam development while taking a 2008 canoe trip down the Romaine River—a year before the company began construction on an $8-­‐billion hydroelectric project on the waterway. Against the backdrop of the area’s spectacular wilderness, the filmmakers reveal the environmental impact of the new project, and discuss alternatives to hydroelectricity, including solar energy, wind, and geothermal power. Providing a perspective from outside North America, Aarti Shrivastava’s White Knight (March 21, 7 p.m.) tells the story of a 78-­‐year-­‐old engineer who creates artificial glaciers in northern India’s high-­‐ altitude deserts. In that part of the world, the narration suggests, “water has become more precious than oil.” That’s one of the more disturbing notions expressed in this festival, but the film itself is surprisingly hopeful, like many of the docs here.


Water Docs Review: White Knight and 86 Centimetres http://thetfs.ca/2013/03/21/water-­‐docs-­‐review-­‐white-­‐knight-­‐and-­‐86-­‐centimetres/ By: Kristal Cooper Timed to highlight World Water Day on March 22, Water Docs International Film Festival presents its thesis that water is a precious and rapidly disappearing resource with an opening night double bill that will fascinate you, take your breath away and maybe inspire you to find out more about the impending H2O crisis. White Knight introduces us to a 78-­‐year-­‐old engineer who’s dedicated his life to creating artificial glaciers in Northern India. This 25-­‐minute film does a great job of explaining how the quickly melting glaciers (in fact, the most quickly melting in the world) are threatening the eventual water supply of the highly populated surrounding towns and offers solutions that give the message a hopeful rather than doomsday feel. 86 Centimetres takes a more intimate look at just how fearful the residents of Bhutan are about the flooding that will result from the nearby melting glaciers–for most it would mean the necessity of abandoning family farms that have provided for them for generations. Men of all ages leave their families for months at a time to live in the wilderness and spend hours each day hand digging a drainage system that will help to lower the water level centimetre by centimetre. There are long stretches of scenes wherein no narration or commentary is provided so that the audience can fully appreciate the true sacrifices that these men are facing – everything from sub-­‐zero temperatures to hands that are constantly chapped and bloodied, all in the name of attempting to right the wrongs of global warming. Is White Knight and 86 Centimetres Essential Water Docs Viewing? Yes. Not only does it proide a window into the stunning Himalayan vista, it offers a point of view on climate change that isn’t often portryed in environmental docs.


This Week in Festivals http://dorkshelf.com/2013/03/19/this-week-in-festivals/ By Andrew Parker March 19, 2013

Dates: March 21-­‐24 | Location: Jackman Hall AGO | Website and information: ecologos.ca/waterdocs The name kind of says it all on this one as Canadian environmental group Ecologos brings together a festival of documentaries and talks all based around the common theme of water and all the terrible, horrible, and not-­‐so-­‐ very-­‐good ways that we are damaging or neglecting it. Each night and programming block of the festival seems to have a unique theme to them. It kicks off at 7pm on the st 21 at 7:00pm with a double bill of mid-­‐ranged shorts focusing on South Asia: a region on the verge of devastation at the hands of melting Himalayan ice caps that few people are talking about. White Knight (which comes produced by Bollywood superstar Ashkay Kumar) tells the story of one 76 year old man from Ladakh in Northern India trying to fix things on his own by crafting artificial glaciers to slow the rising waters in his community. The second film, 86 Centimetres, takes an equally personal look at people in Bhutan that are so frightened for the future of their community that they will literally go out and dig and move massive boulders to create a ravine for run-­‐off by hand in -­‐5 degree weather. While 86 Centimetres is clearly the better of the two productions (White Knight just isn’t very subtle, a little amateurish and naive at times, and it suffers from an inappropriately bombastic musical score), both raise interesting points about a part of the world that deserves more attention from the ecological community and climate change advocates than it has been getting recently. Friday night brings an urban focus on things with a repeat performance of Lost Rivers at 7:00pm, which played at The Bloor earlier this month, and a performance from local 9 piece group H2O (not the straightedge punk band of the same name from the states) doing a pre-­‐show a capella performance. Sunday at 4:30pm, marks the return of Seeking the Current to the city as part of a Water and Power showcase following a screening at Planet in Focus last year. The series closes out with the Robert Redford produced and narrated look at watersheds along the Colorado River, th naturally titled Watershed (Sunday the 24 at 7:00pm) and there’s an intriguing look at the preservation of the rd Great Lakes from a native perspective in Water Journey (Saturday the 23 at 7:00pm, focusing on the remarkable ten year journey undertaken by elder Josephine Mandamin to heighten ecological and spiritual awarness), but the most fun might be had from the family programmes here on Saturday afternoon. Saturday at 1pm there will be a showcase of shorts courtesy of TVO’s The Water Brothers (Tyler and Alex Mifflin), one about the encroachment of flying Asian carp into the Great Lakes ecosystem (Carpageddon) and the other finds them exploring the Meso-­‐American reef (Reefer Madness), the second largest coral reef on Earth. Later that day at 3pm is A Sea Change, a surprisingly sweet and genial documentary about a retired educator trying to find ways to make the world a better place for his grandson. It’s a hard documentary to make without being preachy or saccharine, but Barbara Ettinger’s film really tugs on the heartstrings and brainstems in all the right places.


Things to Do in Toronto this Weekend: Friday March 22 to Sunday March 24, 2013 http://toronto.about.com/b/2013/03/21/weekend-events-march-4.htm By Marilyn Campbell, About.com, March 21, 2013 The UN's annual World Water Day is on March 22, and so our related national event -­‐-­‐ Canada Water Week -­‐-­‐ is on now. The Canada Water Week website has listings of events across the country, including the Water Docs Film Festival which runs from March 21-­‐24 at Jackman Hall in the AGO.

Daily Events: Festivals http://www.nowtoronto.com/news/story.cfm?content=191669

The Whale makes a splash at the Water Docs Film Fest.

Water Docs International Film Festival Films about water awareness including White Knight and The Whale. $15, adv $10; stu/srs $13, adv $8; wknd matinees and kids free. Art Gallery of Ontario Jackman Hall, 317 Dundas W. waterdocs.ca. Mar 21 to 24


GRANDMOTHER JOSEPHINE MANDAMIN, A 69 YEAR OLD WHO WALKED AROUND THE GREAT LAKES, TALKS ABOUT THE WATER DOCS INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL POSTED ON MARCH 22, 2013

http://www.shedoesthecity.com/grandmother-­‐josephine-­‐mandamin-­‐a-­‐69-­‐year-­‐old-­‐who-­‐walked-­‐ around-­‐the-­‐great-­‐lakes-­‐talks-­‐about-­‐the-­‐water-­‐docs-­‐international-­‐festival The Water Docs International Film Festival runs until Sunday, March 24 at the AGO’s Jackman Hall, and Grandmother Josephine Mandamin, who at 69 walked 16000 kms around the Great Lakes meditating on water and raising awareness about our world water crisis, will be giving a blessing at the festival. Her journey is very expressive. I can barely walk up the stairs at the subway without getting winded, and I’m rarely thinking about anything other than myself and croissants. We had a chance to ask her a few questions about her experiences and thoughts on the current water crisis. When and how did you first become aware of our world water crisis? In the year 2000, we heard about a prophecy from one of our elders: By the year 2030, the water crisis will be so bad that water will cost asmuch as gold if we continue with our negligence. He also asked us, “What are you going to do about it?” It motivated me to


do something about the water crisis that is happening. You walked 16000 km around the Great Lakes, what kind of discoveries did you have on your journey? Each of the lakes had a different meaning, for instance, Lake Superior is a very majestic and powerful lake, but can also be gentle and kind. Lake Michigan had many messages our ancestors had left through rocks, paintings, the artwork they left behind, it was the legacy they left behind for us. In a way, our Water Walk is also a legacy for future generations. When we got to Lake Huron some young men from the community joined us (women from the community also walked with me along different stretches) and continued from then on the journey, which was special. Did anything unexpected happen? Not entirely unexpected, but Lake Ontario is a lake that is very polluted in terms of nuclear plants, especially Toronto and New York. The waterwas shimmering with radioactivity. We did not touch the water at all there, we noticed the fish were dead and how heavy the water was. Interestingly, a year later a friend send me a article where scientists were calling it heavy water because of all the radioactive pollution. Lake Erie was very shallow and dirty, all along all we saw was brown water, no clearness during all the time that we walked. You spent much of the time meditating on the water crisis, what effect did this have on you spiritually or mentally? I don’t think you need to spend much time reflecting to realize how important this is. I know we are used to a fast-­‐paced way of life, but water is so important for all life to continue on earth (from us, to other animals, to plants). It’s just a fact of life. Again, I know we rarely stop and think, but hopefully people wouldn’t need to do this to know how important water is. If you could offer any advice to our readers regarding the water crisis, what would it be?” I think one of the best ways to be aware of the importance of the crisis is to think about it first thing in the morning. When you wake up, think about all the things you are going to do that involve water, brushing your teeth, taking a shower. Sometimes you drink from a cup and leave some water just sitting there, we shouldn’t throw it down the drain, but save it, water your plants with it! I would also like to stress the importance of going out and enjoying nature. Sit outside and enjoy mother nature for a couple of days, realize how important water is, when you are thirsty, how important the first drink of water is. Respect water. Josephine’s story is but one of the amazing narratives that will be told at the festival. Her advice, to keep water in mind every day, may seem difficult, but if you watch any of the festival’s films on the current state of water in our world you will definitely have something to think about. Some of the screenings will be devastating and others hopeful, but all will help inform and motivate. There are 17 films being screened this year, accompanied by director and guest speaker Q&As. All screenings will take place at Jackman Hall at the AGO. You can buy tickets in advance here. Thank you to Grandmother Josephine for her inspiring words.


Executive Reads: Stan Gibson By: Notable Posted in: Shop - Nationwide || March 21, 2013, 10:30 am http://notable.ca/nationwide/shop/Executive-­‐Reads-­‐Stan-­‐Gibson/

Stan Gibson is the co-­‐Founder and Executive Director at the Ecologos Institute. After working for 14 years in integrated community development, and owning and operating a consulting company, FSN Inc., dedicated to providing specialized services to museums, Stan co-­‐founded the Ecologos Institute with his wife and life partner of 30 years, Mariam Qureshi, in 2000. Ecologos is a registered charity that engages the public in participatory educational experiences to raise awareness and action to protect the natural environment. One of their latest initiatives is the Water Docs International Film Festival (March 21-­‐24 at the AGO’s Jackman Hall), which was created to help raise awareness on the water crisis. These are some of the pages that have inspired Stan's career path... Bending History: The Collective Works of Joseph W. Matthews, Edited by John Epps. From Joseph Wesley Mathews I learned that life is an open field. No matter how much it squeezes and bears down, I am not its victim. I always have the freedom to decide my own relationship to what’s going on and how


I am going to respond. I can always pick myself up and come back for more. In leadership of teams, this has given me a never-­‐give-­‐up, always-­‐looking-­‐for-­‐solutions attitude. Sacred Economics by Charles Eisenstein Charles Eisenstein confirmed my conviction that life is gift – sheer and total gift, utterly beyond our ability to understand or deserve. It is simply given, no strings attached. Everything about it is gift. The universe is a gift. Everything and everybody that happens is a gift. My life is a gift. From this I learned that the only fulfilment any of us can have is in giving our individual gifts back to the world. So, leadership is not about pushing people to reach objectives. It’s about creating spaces for them to give their gift. The Great Work by Thomas Barry Thomas Barry brought home that everything we do with our lives is within the context of the 14-­‐billion-­‐year unfolding of the universe and of human life and culture. This unfolding always has an edge to it. You can fight that edge, but it will win. So, jump on the edge and enjoy the ride. The trick is to discern what the edge really is, what is actually emerging, and then to grab hold and become an instrument of its unfolding. This is what Thomas Barry calls the Great Work which all of us are called to decide for ourselves in our particular time and place. Despite my best efforts, I just had to add a fourth book that has been just as important for me... The Book: On The Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are by Alan Watts Alan Watts made me realize that my culture sold me a story that I am a skin-­‐encapsulated ego with some kind of command post in the head struggling away against an outside and often alien world. But Watts says this is the viewpoint of rats at the bottom of a well. He insists on a different story of who I am. I am in-­‐separable from the totality of existence. At every moment of my life what I am is actually the whole universe happening at a particular time and place. Imagine teams grounded in a story of such incredible vision of who we are.


WHITE KNIGHT - Water Docs 2013 "I hope that this documentary inspires more people to take action the way Mr. Norphel has." Film Review Water Docs Film Festival 2013 Film: White Knight Director: Aarti Shrivastava Producer: Akshay Kumar Starring: Chewang Norphel Run time: 25 minutes

Reviewed by: Tessa Perkins As glaciers all over the world are receding, those in the Himalayas are disappearing at an alarming rate. According to the International Panel on Climate Change, they will be completely gone by 2035. White Knight is the story of a fascinating and ingenious man who has developed and perfected the technology to create artificial glaciers in Ladakh’s treacherous mountain terrain in northern India. The people of this region are suffering from water scarcity as their traditional water supply dries up, and seventy-­‐eight-­‐year-­‐old Chewang Norphel has been able to help provide a solution. Norphel is a wise man with a vision, and his tenacity and determination are quite inspiring. I enjoyed learning about his efforts over the past twenty-­‐five years, and I was surprised to find out that work on his first artificial glacier began in 1987. Known as the “Glacier Man,” he initially faced opposition as many people didn’t think his idea was possible. Now he is treated as if he was a god, and has built ten of these glaciers. Norphel’s goal is to build one hundred more glaciers. Receiving help from the Indian Army, but struggling to obtain government funds for his projects Norphel and his dedicated volunteers fight hard to make sure the people of Ladakh have enough water. While we may not realize it, actions in North America have an effect on regions across the globe, and the effects of climate change are very evident in Ladakh as the Himalayan glaciers are receding faster than anywhere else on the planet. I hope that this documentary inspires more people to take action the way Mr. Norphel has. He is a truly passionate and determined man who found a way to help his community solve their water shortage, and he hasn’t stopped working ever since.


86 CENTIMETRES - Water Docs 2013 "...it gave a unique perspective on this kind of situation as we saw how this event affected one man and his family." Film Review Water Docs Film Festival 2013 Film: 86 Centimetres Director: Peterjan van der Burgh and Tshering Gyeltshen Release Date: 2011 Run time: 39 minutes

Reviewed by: Tessa Perkins As the glaciers in Bhutan are melting at an ever increasing rate, they are filling up glacial lakes until they are almost bursting. The immense pressure on the moraine dams is a threat to the people living along the valley as they would soon be underwater if the dams bursts open. 86 Centimetres follows the journey of one volunteer as he travels to the site of this moraine dam to be part of a team of 350 volunteers who work to reduce the water level of the lake and reduce the pressure on the dam. With very little dialogue and sweeping landscape scenes, the film seemed a bit slow at times, but I thought it gave a unique perspective on this kind of situation as we saw how this event affected one man and his family. His work on this project kept him away from home from months, and when he finally got to speak to his wife again she had given birth to a baby girl. There is a very strong theme of personal sacrifice in the film as we learn that three of the workers dies while trying to prevent a disastrous flood. In minus five degree weather these volunteers moved large boulders with only ropes and their own strength. Working together for seventy five days straight they were able to lower the water level by eighty-­‐six centimetres. Over the next two years and more work by volunteer teams, the lake was brought down by a total of 368 centimetres, and the people who live nearby are hoping that this will be enough to save them from a glacial flood. The work ethic and personal sacrifice of these Bhutanese workers was inspiring, and the effects of climate change are very apparent as they face the threat of rapidly melting glaciers and flooding. I think this was a poignant documentary, but I would have liked to see it be a bit shorter or include a bit more narration or dialogue. Despite that it is still definitely worth watching.


LOST RIVERS - Water Docs 2013

"...this documentary takes viewers on an underground adventure exposing the rich history of these lost urban rivers." Film Review Water Docs Film Festival 2013 Film: Lost Rivers Director: Caroline Bâcle Producer: Katarina Soukup Run time: 72 minutes

Reviewed by: Tessa Perkins This film is the story of buried rivers and the secret underground world of cities that goes unnoticed. There are people all over the world who explore these depths and are passionate about uncovering these lost rivers and allowing them to be enjoyed. Almost every large city in the world is built on top of rivers, and the sewer systems are outdated and in need of upgrades. As cities grew and rivers became more polluted, they were covered up to avoid the spread of waterborne diseases like cholera. The film references “The Great Stink” in London in 1858 when the rivers became toxic sewers. The rivers became the sewer system funneling both wastewater and rain water to treatment plants. The trouble occurs when there is heavy rainfall and the water level in the pipes overflows, dumping untreated wastewater directly into other bodies of water such as Lake Ontario in Toronto’s case. From Montreal and Toronto, to London, to a small town in Italy, this documentary takes viewers on an underground adventure exposing the rich history of these lost urban rivers. Some of the rivers featured include Rivière St-­‐Pierre in Montreal, Garrison Creek in Toronto, River Tyburn in London, and Bova-­‐Celato River in Bresica, Italy. The Italian underground explorers went from being clandestine manhole lifters to an official association that works in partnership with their municipal government. We are introduced to many visionary urban thinkers, activists, and artists from all over the world as we see many stories of people trying to liberate these rivers. One example of a community deciding to reverse what had been done to their river is Yonkers, NY where they “daylighted” the river and made a park where there was a parking lot. Another inspiring example was in Seoul, South Korea, where they deconstructed their raised highway and made a park along a stretch of the Cheonggyecheon River in their downtown core. Raising important questions about the most efficient and ecological way to build sewers and deal with rain water, this documentary shows many examples of cities uncovering their pasts as they move into the future with a better understanding of the consequences of burying rivers under cities. One thing that was very saddening in the film was to learn that Toronto, instead of acting on a recommendation to build a series of rain water ponds to deal with flooding, decided to go ahead and expand their underground pipe system. This film will get you thinking about rivers and urban water systems in a new way, and I think it will show that the way our cities were built during the industrial revolution probably isn’t the best thing for us in the twenty-­‐first century as we deal with climate change, flooding, and increasing populations.


A SEA CHANGE - Water Docs 2013

"This is a chilling documentary that explains what is happening to our oceans as they become more acidic due to the drastic increase in carbon dioxide." Film Review Water Docs 2013 Film: A Sea Change Director: Barbara Ettinger Run time: 86 minutes

Reviewed by: Tessa Perkins This is a chilling documentary that explains what is happening to our oceans as they become more acidic due to the drastic increase in carbon dioxide. Ocean acidification is occurring as the oceans absorb more carbon dioxide from our air, which has devastating impacts on many species that can’t adapt to this change. Many fish and other marine species are deteriorating as their environment is becoming polluted. One species talked about quite a bit in the film is pteropods. These tiny creatures are a staple in the food chain, but due to acidification their shells are dissolving. We are heading to a world without fish unless we do something to reduce all the carbon being dumped into our oceans. As the chemistry of the ocean changes, these dramatic effects will work their way up the food chain and could jeopardize the fish that millions of people rely on for their protein source. Following retired history teacher Sven Huseby as he embarks on a journey to find out more about ocean acidification in order to educate himself. He became obsessed with the topic after reading Elizabeth Kolbert’s “The Darkening Sea.” While Huseby is frightened of the consequences of ocean acidification, he is more concerned with what the future world will be like and whether or not his young grandson Elias will live in a world where the ocean is destroyed. Huseby visits many parts of the world to learn more about what is happening to our oceans. His journey brings him to Alaska, California, Washington, and Norway as he realizes the extent of this crisis by talking to oceanographers, marine biologists, climatologists, and even artists. It was very interesting to see how people in Norway are diversifying their energy infrastructure by investing in wind power. Huseby even stayed at a hotel that has net zero carbon emissions by using geothermal heating. Adopting these innovative energy sources is the key to reducing our carbon emissions and slowing the acidification of our oceans. I just hope we can accomplish that before it’s too late.


SEEKING THE CURRENT - Water Docs 2013 " ...they sought to show the beauty of the entire river and capture it on film before it would be forever changed by four destructive dams." Film Review Water Docs 2013 Film: Seeking the Current Director: Nicolas Boisclair and Alexis de Gheldere Run time: 86 minutes

Reviewed by: Tessa Perkins In 2008 Nicolas Boisclair and Alexis de Gheldere took the canoe trip of a lifetime spending forty-­‐six days canoeing down Quebec’s Romaine River. Along with some friends and other environmental activists, they sought to show the beauty of the entire river and capture it on film before it would be forever changed by four destructive dams. These dams proposed by Hydro Quebec would reduce some parts of the river to a trickle, flood others, put many species in danger, and contaminate the water with mercury. According to Hydro Quebec and the government these dams are necessary to meet the increasing demand for energy, but as this film points out there are many cheaper, cleaner alternatives. Quebec’s north shore area is full of dammed rivers that have been transformed, and as Hydro Quebec runs out of large and medium sized rivers to dam, they are moving on the smaller ones. It seems odd to me that they are stuck in a mindset of thinking that hydro is the only answer, but the film explains that this is probably due to the fact that Hydro Quebec has been given an association with a sort of nationalist pride of Quebec doing things for themselves and providing abundant electricity. As the filmmakers and friends canoe the 500 kilometres of the Romaine from source to mouth, we are shown all of the cheaper, less environmentally destructive sources of electricity that are available. Solar and wind power as well as geothermal are all viable alternatives to damming more rivers. Another important point is that we need to move from finding new sources of electricity to reducing our demand and using the power we do have more efficiently. Building or retrofitting homes to be heated more efficiently would save an incredible amount of power, and also save the province a lot of money as dams are very expensive to build. From the example of Churchill Falls in Labrador, we see that a once rushing river and beautiful waterfall has been reduced to a small stream due to the water being redirected to a hydroelectric dam built there in 1970. The Romaine will suffer the same fate if the four dam project goes ahead as planned. Construction has begun already on the first of these dams, and is expected to be completed by 2020. For more information about this project, visit the Alliance Romaine website. http://allianceromaine.wordpress.com/http://allianceromaine.wordpress.com/.


WATERSHED - Water Docs 2013 "Watershed examines the threats to the struggling Colorado River and through interviews with farmers, indigenous people, and citizens while offering some alternatives for future water use in the American West." Film Review Water Docs 2013 Film: Watershed Director: Mark Decena and James Redford Narrated by: Robert Redford Run time: 57 minutes

Reviewed by: Tessa Perkins As populations grow and the demand for water increases, the Colarado watershed is under ever more pressure to provide water. Currently over thirty million people rely on water from this watershed, and it is the most dammed and diverted river in the U.S. Due to all of this tampering, the river rarely reaches its delta in the Gulf of California, and after everyone further north has taken their water, Mexico barely receives any water from this river anymore. Watershed examines the threats to the struggling Colorado River and through interviews with farmers, indigenous people, and citizens while offering some alternatives for future water use in the American West. There is a huge need to reform water use in the cities that rely on the Colorado, and also to find more logical water sources rather than importing LA water from 300 miles away. One solution explored was grey water. By reusing relatively clean water for certain practices like water crops or washing clothes, water use would be dramatically reduced. Another important point made in the film is that people should think about priorities with their water usage such as whether your lawn or someone further down the river is in more need of drinking water. The Colorado River runs through seven U.S. and two Mexican states, and is relied on by millions of people. It is important to ensure its long-­‐term health. 70% of the rivers’ water supports agriculture, and it is very concerning that it already runs dry before it reaches its mouth at the Gulf of California. Unless action to reduce the demand for water is taken, the Colorado’s retreat will continue and millions of people could face dramatic water shortages. This is an inspirational and highly informative documentary that explains the problems facing this watershed very well, while showing that there are some available solutions that people can adopt to help save the river and their water source.


Water Docs: Opening Night celebrating South Asia http://www.blogto.com/events/72827 We are excited to announce that Water Docs will open the festival by hosting the Premier Toronto screening of White Knight; an award-­‐winning film by leading Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar. The evening will celebrate our partnership with the Voices from the Waters International Film Festival in Bangalore, offer a screening of the film “86 Centimetres” and follow with a reception. An evening you don’t want to miss! Two films will be shown, followed by a reception, and filmmaker Aarti Shrivastava will be available by live internet feed for a post-­‐screening Q&A.. White Knight (2012 – 25 minutes) By filmmaker Aarti Shrivastava and producer Akshay Kumar White Knight is the story of a fascinating and courageous man who creates artificial glaciers in the treacherous mountain terrain of Ladakh, in northern India. The stark and breathtakingly beautiful land of Ladakh is grappling with an alarming scarcity of water. In this high altitude desert, melting glaciers have been the traditional source of fresh water. However, due to global warming, glaciers are melting faster—and today in Ladakh fresh water has become more precious than oil. 86 Centimetres (2011 – 39 minutes) By filmmakers Peterjan van der Burgh & Tshering Gyeltshen, © bhutan+partners 86 centimetres is set in Bhutan, an idyllic kingdom nestled in the Himalayas. With seventy percent of the country under forest cover, Bhutan’s pristine ecology is home to rare and endangered flora and fauna. However, this hotspot of environmental conservation is facing the indisputable effects of global warming. Rapid melting of ice is weakening the walls of Bhutan’s Himalayan glacial lakes, which could cause massive glacial floods. The only way to prevent this tragedy is to build a drainage system and lower the water level of the lake by six meters. The film documents the first-­‐year efforts of an intrepid team of men who battle hail storms, ice cold winds, and freezing sub-­‐zero temperatures as they set out to drain the lake manually. (Source: SAFF Canada 2012 listing)


Water Docs International Film Festival

http://www.blog.filmarmy.ca/events_tags/water-docs-international-filmfestival/?doing_wp_cron=1364324467.9713280200958251953125

When: Where:

Cost:

Back to Calendar March 21, 2013 – March 24, 2013 (all-­‐day) Jackman Hall 317 Dundas Street West OCAD University,Toronto,ON M5T Canada $10 in advance, $15 at the door

The 2nd annual Water Docs International Film Festival is a unique event weaving the leading voices of water awareness with the expressive power of great filmmaking. Produced by the water issues group Ecologos, Water Docs this year will present 17 films, accompanied with director and guest speaker Q&As. March 21 – 7pm White Knight directed by Aarti Shrivastava (25 mins) 86 centimetres directed by Peterjan van der Burgh & Tshering Gyeltshen (39 mins) March 22 – 7pm The Zen of Rowing directed by Kevin Caners (5 mins) Lost Rivers directed by Caroline Bâcle (72 mins) March 23 – 1pm Carpageddon directed by Alex & Tyler Mifflin a.k.a. The Water Bros. (28 mins) Reefer Madness directed by Alex & Tyler Mifflin a.k.a. The Water Bros. (23.5 mins) March 23 – 3pm A Sea Turtle Story directed by Kathy Shultz (10 mins) A Sea Change directed by Barbara Ettinger (86 mins) March 23 – 7pm Qalupalik directed by Ame Papatsie (5.5 mins) Water Journey directed by Jeff Bear and Marianne Jones (94 mins) March 24 – 1pm The Whale Story directed by Tess Martin (3.5 mins) Meltdown directed by Carrie Mombourquette (1.5 mins) The Whale directed by Suzanne Chisholm and Michael Parfit Narrated by Ryan Reynolds (85 mins) March 24 – 4pm Dolime Dilemma directed by Kristy Neville (12 mins) Seeking the Current directed by Nicolas Boisclair, Alexis de Gheldere Narrated by Roy Dupuis (86 mins) March 24 – 7pm Watershed directed by Mark Decena and James Redford, Narrated Robert Redford (57 mins) Overview directed by Guy Reid, Christoph Ferstad and Steve Kennedy (19 mins)


Water Docs International Film Festival 2013

http://www.thegate.ca/event/water-docs-international-film-festival-2013/ Jackman Hall @ AGO

317 Dundas Street West, Toronto, Ontario, M5T 1G4, Canada Start:March 21, 2013 12:00am End:March 24, 2013 11:59pm Costs:$8.00 to $15.00 Category:Festivals Water. We send probes to other planets seeking that telltale marker of life. Meanwhile, the fate of our water here on Earth looms as our greatest threat. The 2nd annual Water Docs International Film Festival is a unique event weaving the leading voices of water awareness with the expressive power of great filmmaking. Produced by the water issues group Ecologos, Water Docs this year will present 17 films, accompanied with director and guest speaker Q&As. All screenings will take place at Jackman Hall at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), 317 Dundas St., W., from March 21 – 24, 2013. This year, Ecologos partners with India’s Voices from the Waters International Film Festival, and on the evening of Saturday March 23, in what promises to be a moving moment, Water Docs will receive the inaugural blessing of Grandmother Josephine Mandamin, an indomitable woman who has walked 16,000 kms around the Great Lakes, praying for the water at every step in the most phenomenal witness to water ever undertaken. The ceremony will be part of the evening’s theme, Water and the Wisdom of Our First Nations Communities. The 17-­‐film program, meanwhile, covers the entire spectrum of water issues in tones from solemn to hopeful. There are films dealing with impending shortages, like Aarti Shrivastava’s White Knight, about the quest to create artificial glaciers in Ladakh, Northern India, where the actual drinking-­‐water-­‐ supplying glaciers are receding at an alarming rate due to global warming. Elsewhere, climate change threatens to drown people in the stuff – as in Peter Jan van der Burgh and Tshering Gyeltshen’s 86 centimetres, which tells the story of Bhutan in the Himalayas, where glacial lakes threaten to flood entire ecosystems and villages as the ice holding them back disappears.


Hidden water will be on tap in Caroline Bâcle’s Lost Rivers, a study of how urbanization has turned surface rivers into forgotten underground waterways in cities like London, Montreal and Toronto. And filmgoers will be introduced to the work of Alex & Tyler Mifflin – a.k.a. The Water Brothers. Their issues run the gamut from the eco-­‐destroying Asian Carp (Carpageddon), which is being barely held back from the Great Lakes by underwater electric fences, to wholesale destruction of the world’s coral reefs (Reefer Madness). The Festival closes out with the Canadian Premiere of Watershed a film by Mark Decena and James Redford, that tells the story of the threats to the once-­‐mighty Colorado River and offers solutions for the future of the American West. James’ father Robert Redford is executive producer, as well, narrates the film. Films List and Time: March 21 – 7pm White Knight – directed by Aarti Shrivastava (25 mins) 86 centimetres – directed by Peterjan van der Burgh & Tshering Gyeltshen (39 mins) March 22 – 7pm The Zen of Rowing – directed by Kevin Caners (5 mins) Lost Rivers – directed by Caroline Bâcle (72 mins) March 23 – 1pm Carpageddon – directed by Alex & Tyler Mifflin a.k.a. The Water Bros. (28 mins) Reefer Madness – directed by Alex & Tyler Mifflin a.k.a. The Water Bros. (23.5 mins) March 23 – 3pm A Sea Turtle Story – directed by Kathy Shultz (10 mins) A Sea Change – directed by Barbara Ettinger (86 mins) March 23 – 7pm Qalupalik – directed by Ame Papatsie (5.5 mins) Water Journey – directed by Jeff Bear and Marianne Jones (94 mins) March 24 – 1pm The Whale Story – directed by Tess Martin (3.5 mins) Meltdown – directed by Carrie Mombourquette (1.5 mins) The Whale – directed by Suzanne Chisholm and Michael Parfit, Narrated by Ryan Reynolds (85 mins) March 24 – 4pm Dolime Dilemma – directed by Kristy Neville (12 mins) Seeking the Current – directed by Nicolas Boisclair, Alexis de Gheldere, Narrated by Roy Dupuis (86 mins) March 24 – 7pm Watershed – directed by Mark Decena and James Redford, Narrated Robert Redford (57 mins) Overview – directed by Guy Reid, Christoph Ferstad and Steve Kennedy (19 mins) Tickets available through Eventbrite: http://www.eventbrite.ca/event/5635722598 Weekend Matinée Screenings: Children 13 and under free with an adult Care assistants for people with disabilities are always free


Water Docs March 21 – 24, 2013

http://www.ndact.com/index.php/events/706-water-docs-march-21-24-2013 Published on Friday, 08 March 2013 09:28 Hits: 113 Fitting with our Food and Water First Campaign.

Water Docs is a documentary film festival about all things water. From March 21-­‐24, 2013 at the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto, it’s your chance to see both feature and short films about water, and discuss the films with the director or others. Not only does the festival inform and educate about water and water issues, it provides a forum for discussions as well as a channel for action provided by our guest speakers and featured environmental organisations. So, for the love of water, come join us!

2ND ANNUAL WATER DOCS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL March 13, 2013. Water Docs is a documentary film festival about all things water. From March 21-­‐24, 2013 at the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto, it’s your chance to see both feature and short films about water, and discuss the films with the director or others. Not only does the festival inform and educate about water and water issues, it provides a forum for discussions as well as a channel for action provided by guest speakers and featured environmental organisations. So, for the love of water, come join us! For full list of films and times, visit: http://ecologos.ca/waterdocs/.


Toronto Premier of White Knight opens the Water Docs Film Festival http://www.mybindi.com/articles/toronto-premier-of-white-knight-opens-the-water-docs-filmfestival March 15, 2013. Water Docs is a documentary film festival about all things water. From March 21-­‐24, 2013 at Jackman Hall in Toronto’s Art Gallery of Ontario, it’s your chance to see both feature and short films about water. When Akshay Kumar is not fighting the evil villain or scoring points with the leading lady, he’s producing films that are making a global impact. What’s more appealing than a good looking man with a soft heart? Akshay Kumar is the producer of White Knight, an award-­‐winning film that tells the story of a fascinating and courageous man who creates artificial glaciers in the treacherous mountain terrain of Ladakh, in northern India, to address the water scarcity caused by global warming. The film is a welcome breeze of fresh air in the Bollywood film industry, where such mega stars as Akshay Kumar are using their influence to bring attention to a good cause. The film will see its Toronto premier at the opening night of the Water Docs International Film Festival on Thursday, March 21st in Jackman Hall at the AGO, with a live post-­‐screening Q&A with film director Aarti Shrivastava. The opening night will also celebrate Water Docs newest partnership with the Voices from the Waters International Film Festival in Bangalore, India, the first water-­‐themed film festival in the world. A total South Asian vibe will consume this evening with a post-­‐screening reception at Bau Xi Gallery just steps from the cinema, so be sure to check this one out with your whole family before tickets are sold out! Another highlight of the festival will be the Canadian premiere of the film WATERSHED, narrated by Robert Redford about his favourite Colorado River and the American Southwest on the festival’s closing night, Sunday, March 24th at 7:00 pm. To see the full weekend schedule for the Water Docs Film Festival, click HERE. Click below to see the trailer of White Knight: For full festival details, click HERE. (Samina Hashmi) This article can also be seen in the following outlets: http://www.humanitywatchdog.org/toronto-­‐premier-­‐of-­‐white-­‐knight-­‐opens-­‐ the-­‐water-­‐docs-­‐film-­‐festival/


Planet in Focus co-presents Watershed: Exploring a New Water Ethic for the New West at the Water Docs International Film Festival http://planetinfocus.org/co-presentation/planet-in-focus-co-presents-watershed-exploring-a-newwater-ethic-for-the-new-west-at-the-water-docs-international-film-festival/

By: Kathleen Mullen March 14, 2013.

Planet in Focus co-­‐presents Closing Night at the Water Docs International Film Festival – Sunday, March 24th, 2013 at 7:00 PM The Canadian Premier of WATERSHED: Exploring a New Water Ethic for the New West (2012 | USA | 57 minutes) Executive Produced and Narrated by Robert Redford Directed by Mark Decena Produced by James Redford, The Redford Centre and Kontent Films

WATERSHED tells the story of the threats to the once-­‐mighty Colorado River and offers solutions for the future of the American West. As the most dammed, dibbed, and diverted river in the world struggles to support thirty million people and the peace-­‐keeping agreement known as the Colorado River Pact reaches its limits,


WATERSHED introduces hope. Can we meet the needs of a growing population in the face of rising temperatures and lower rainfall in an already arid land? Can we find harmony amongst the competing interests of cities, agriculture, industry, recreation, wildlife, and indigenous communities with rights to the water? Sweeping through seven U.S. and two Mexican states, the Colorado River is a lifeline to expanding populations and booming urban centres that demand water for drinking, sanitation and energy generation. And with 70% of the rivers’ water supporting agriculture, the river already runs dry before it reaches its natural end at the Gulf of California. Unless action is taken, the river will continue its retreat – a potentially catastrophic scenario for the millions who depend on it. The Redford Center created WATERSHED as an inspirational social action tool for people who want to engage. WATERSHED is a central tool in a larger grassroots effort focused on saving the Colorado River and supporting the communities throughout the river basin. Screening with: OVERVIEW (2012 | UK | 19 minutes) Directed and Produced by Planetary Collective – Guy Reid, Christoph Ferstad and Steve Kennedy Astronauts who have seen the Earth from space have often described the ‘overview effect’ as an experience that has transformed their perspective of the planet and mankind’s place upon it, and enabled them to perceive it as our shared home, without boundaries between nations or species. “When we look down at the Earth from space we see this amazing, indescribably beautiful planet – it looks like a living, breathing organism. But it also, at the same time, looks extremely fragile.” – Ron Garan (quoted from the film)

OVERVIEW is a short film that explores this perspective through interviews with astronauts who have experienced the overview effect. The film also features insights from commentators and thinkers on the wider implications and importance of this understanding for humanity as a whole, and especially its relevance to how we meet the tremendous challenges facing our planet at this time. Featured Environmental NGO: Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) Co-­‐Presenter: Planet in Focus Environmental Film Festival (PIF)


ʼ86centimetres…ʼ at water docs international film festival, toronto http://www.bhutanandpartners.org/2013/03/86centimetres-at-water-docsinternational-film-festival-toronto/ March 11, 2013.

ʻ86 centimetres…’ will be screened at the Water Docs International Film Festival, 21 March 2013, Toronto at the opening night. ’86 centimetres…’ is a documentary by filmmakers Peterjan van der Burgh & Tshering Gyeltshen, © bhutan+partners is the executive producer. ’86 centimetres…’ is set in Bhutan, an idyllic kingdom nestled in the Himalayas. With seventy percent of the country under forest cover, Bhutan’s pristine ecology is home to rare and endangered flora and fauna. However, this hotspot of environmental conservation is facing the indisputable effects of global warming. Rapid melting of ice is weakening the walls of Bhutan’s Himalayan glacial lakes, which could cause massive glacial floods. The only way to prevent this tragedy is to build a drainage system and lower the water level of the lake by six meters. The film documents the first-­‐year efforts of an intrepid team of men who battle hail storms, ice cold winds, and freezing sub-­‐zero temperatures as they set out to drain the lake manually. ’86 centimetres…’ will also be screened at the first Bhutan Film Festival in Budapest, Hungary, April 2013. Details will follow.

Waterdocs Film Festival http://www.steamwhistle.ca/events/eventdetail.php?id=1047 Steam Whistle supports WFF.

Water Docs is a documentary film festival about all things water. From March 21-­‐24, 2013 at Jackman Hall in Toronto’s Art Gallery of Ontario, it’s your chance to see both feature and short films about water, and discuss the films with the director or others. Not only does the festival inform and educate about water and water issues, it provides a forum for discussions as well as a channel for action provided by our guest speakers and featured environmental organisations. So, for the love of water, come join us!


Water Docs Film Festival http://www.couchsurfing.org/activity/view/P7H44K Art Gallery of Ontario (Jackman Hall) -­‐ from McCaul Street Get directions Time: Mar 23 at 4:00 pm -­‐Mar 23 at 6:30 pm Duration: 2 hours and 30 mins

http://ecologos.ca/waterdocs/ "Water Docs is a documentary film festival about all things water. From March 21-­‐24, 2013 at Jackman Hall in Toronto’s Art Gallery of Ontario, it’s your chance to see both feature and short films about water, and discuss the films with the director or others. Not only does the festival inform and educate about water and water issues, it provides a forum for discussions as well as a channel for action provided by our guest speakers and featured environmental organizations. So, for the love of water, come join us!" -­‐ Water Docs website Adults: $10 in advance, $15 at the door Students and Seniors: $8 in advance, $13 at the door Water and Energy matinée @ 4 pm Seeking The Current (2011 – 86 minutes) "Nicolas Boisclair and Alexis de Gheldere collaborate with renowned Canadian actor Roy Dupuis for this documentary of passionate environmental advocacy. The film is a convincing critique of Hydro Quebec’s Romaine River initiative–a plan to construct four dams along the 500-­‐kilometre waterway. It’s also a story of devolution from social democratic ideals to greed and environmental destructiveness. Narrated by Dupuis and framed by the filmmakers’ 2008 canoe journey down the river, this movie details the history of Quebec’s energy industry, the likely environmental costs of the new project and, most constructively, the plethora of alternatives to hydroelectricity. Solar energy, biomass, biogas, energy efficiency, wind and geothermal power– all are thoroughly examined in terms of cost, applicability, and efficiency, and the case for them is overwhelmingly persuasive. Here’s a film that goes well beyond critique to a detailed vision of a better future for the land. The evidence is in the scrupulous research, but the power lies in the filmmakers’ journey of dedication, and the beautiful images it produces." Dolime Dilemma: Water Proof? (2012 – 12 minutes) "This film brings the global concern for our water supply closer to home – to Guelph, Ontario. Is there adequate security for Guelph’s groundwater supply? Are our fundamental resources really being protected in Ontario?"


Water Docs International Film Festival http://canadawaterweek.com/event/110

Organization: Ecologos Date: Thursday, March 21, 2013 (All day) -­‐ Sunday, March 24, 2013 (All day) Water Docs is a documentary film festival about all things water. From March 21-­‐24, 2013 at Jackman Hall in Toronto’s Art Gallery of Ontario, it’s your chance to see both feature and short films about water, and discuss the films with the director or others. Not only does the festival inform and educate about water and water issues, it provides a forum for discussions as well as a channel for action provided by our guest speakers and featured environmental organizations. So, for the love of water, come join us! Day 1 of Water Docs opens the festival and celebrates our partnership with the Voices from the Waters International Film Festival in Bangalore, India, the first water-­‐based film festival in the world, now in its seventh year, organized by George Kutty and the Bangalore Film Society. Day 2 of Water Docs focuses on water and people who live in cities. Day 3 lineup has three sessions at 1, 3, and 7 PM, including an appearance by The Water Brothers, and our Inauguration ceremony at 7pm. The Day 4 lineup has three sessions at 1, 4, and 7 pm. The festival closes with 2 great films, including the CANADIAN PREMIER of WATERSHED, narrated by Robert Redford.


Water Docs International Film Festival http://www.greatlakescommonsmap.org/reports/view/87 ONLINE DIGITAL ARCHIVE 19:00 Mar 21 2013 Jackman Hall, Art Gallery of Ontario Description Water Docs is a documentary film festival about all things water. Taking place from March 21-­‐24, 2013 at Jackman Hall in the AGO, it's not to be missed. Not only is it a film festival to inform and educate about water and water issues, it is a forum for discussions and a channel for action provided by our guest speakers and our featured environmental organisations. So, for the love of water, come join us! Website / Photo / Audio Source Links

http://www.ecologos.ca/waterdocs

Water Docs International Film Festival Thu Mar 21 to Sun Mar 24, 2013, Toronto, ON

The Water Docs International Film Festival, to be held during the weekend of March 21 to 24, 2013 at the Art Gallery of Ontario and to coincide with Canada Water Week, is a documentary film festival about all things water and will take a significant step towards becoming a distinguished, juried, global festival for water-themed films. The inaugural festival will draw on Toronto’s South Asian community to help celebrate our founding partnership with the Voices from the Waters International Film Festival, now in its seventh year in Bangalore, India. From March 21-24, 2013, it will be your chance to see both feature and short films about water, and discuss the films with the director or others. Not only does the festival inform and educate about water and water issues, it provides a forum for discussions and a channel for action provided by our guest speakers and our featured environmental organizations. Visit us online at: http://www.waterdocs.ca or at www.ecologos.ca Check out our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WaterDocs Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/WaterDocsFF

For more information:

Contact Name: JEN RALLIS Website: http://ecologos.ca/waterdocs/ Phone: 905-271-5581 E-mail: jen.rallis (at) rogers.com

Additional Contacts & Websites:

Visit us online at: http://www.waterdocs.ca or at www.ecologos.ca

Check out our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WaterDocs Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/WaterDocsFF Please tell them you saw it at Planetfriendly.net. Especially if travelling from a distance, avoid disappointment by contacting or checking the event organizers' website. Register if appropriate.


Publicity Handled by GAT PR


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.