''One Water'' is a 2008 documentary film directed by Sanjeev Chatterjee and Ali Habashi. The film premiered at the 2008

Miami International Film Festival The Miami Film Festival, formerly Miami International Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Miami, Florida, each March. Since 2015 the festival also runs a smaller Fall Festival, known as the Miami Film Festival GEMS, which presents ...

on 22 February 2008.

Film

''One Water'' is a collaborative project initiated in 2003 at the

University of Miami The University of Miami (UM, UMiami, Miami, U of M, and The U) is a private university, private research university in Coral Gables, Florida, United States. , the university enrolled 19,852 students in two colleges and ten schools across over ...

between the School of Communication, College of Engineering and the Frost School of Music to address the global freshwater crisis. At the heart of the project was the motion picture ''One Water''. An early short version of the picture was screened at the 12th and 13th sessions of the UN

Commission on Sustainable Development The United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) was a body under the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) tasked with overseeing the outcomes of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development/Earth Summit. I ...

in New York. A feature version was completed in 2008 and premiered at the Miami International Film Festival. The 68-minute movie was shot in 14 countries and features long tracts of visual storytelling over music and natural sound without words, interspersed with interviews with prominent people, including the

Dalai Lama The Dalai Lama (, ; ) is the head of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. The term is part of the full title "Holiness Knowing Everything Vajradhara Dalai Lama" (圣识一切瓦齐尔达喇达赖喇嘛) given by Altan Khan, the first Shu ...

Vandana Shiva Vandana Shiva (born 5 November 1952) is an Indian scholar, environmental activist, food sovereignty advocate, ecofeminist and anti-globalization author. Based in Delhi, Shiva has written more than 20 books. She is often referred to as "Ga ...

Robert Kennedy Jr Robert Francis Kennedy Jr. (born January 17, 1954), also known by his initials RFK Jr., is an American politician, environmental lawyer, author, conspiracy theorist, and anti-vaccine activist serving as the 26th United States secretary of healt ...

Felipe Fernández-Armesto Felipe Fernández-Armesto (born 1950) is a British professor of history and author of several popular works, notably on cultural and environmental history. Life and career He was born in London; his father was the Spanish journalist Felipe Fern ...

and

Oscar Olivera Oscar Olivera Foronda (born 1955) is a Bolivian union leader who was one of the main leaders of the protesters against the water privatization in Bolivia. The result of these protests was an event known as the Cochabamba Water War. He was also one ...

, among others.

Donna Shalala Donna Edna Shalala ( ; born February 14, 1941) is an American politician and academic who served in the Carter and Clinton administrations, as well as in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2019 to 2021. Shalala is a recipient of the Preside ...

, president of the

, also appears in the film as narrator. The original score for ''One Water'' was recorded in Moscow by the

Russian National Orchestra The Russian National Orchestra () was founded in Moscow in 1990 by pianist and conductor Mikhail Pletnev. It was the first Russian orchestra to perform at the Apostolic Palace, Vatican City and in Israel. History The RNO's first recording (1991 ...

. In 2006, ''One Water'' received major support from the

John S. and James L. Knight Foundation John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second Ep ...

as part of its establishment of the Knight Center for International Media at the School of Communication, University of Miami. The central idea behind the project was the making of a documentary that would spark the creation of further media on the subject of water around the world. Toward this goal, a partnership with San Francisco-based

Independent Television Service ITVS (Independent Television Service) is a service in the United States which funds and presents documentaries on public television through distribution by PBS and American Public Television, new media projects on the Internet, and the weekly se ...

(ITVS) would create four nationally broadcast films on water in four countries (Bahrain, Colombia, India and South Africa). These films will be broadcast in these countries around

World Water Day World Water Day is an annual United Nations (UN) observance day held on 22 March that highlights the importance of fresh water. The day is used to advocate for the sustainable management of Water resources, freshwater resources. The theme of eac ...

(22 March 2009). This partnership has also launched the International Water Journalism website 1h2o.org that is receiving water related multimedia articles produced by journalists around the world. In early 2009, an international television version of the film was created with a script written by Sanjeev Chatterjee and narrated by Hollywood star

Martin Sheen Ramón Gerard Antonio Estévez (born August 3, 1940), known professionally as Martin Sheen, is an American actor. His work spans over six decades of television and film, and his accolades include three Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and ...

Sheen was brought to the project by executive producer, Sam L Grogg who formerly collaborated with Sheen on the theatrical motion picture ''DA''. This version of the documentary aired on

Discovery Networks Discovery, Inc. was an American multinational mass media factual television conglomerate based in New York City. Established in 1982, the company operated a group of factual and lifestyle television brands, such as the namesake Discovery Chan ...

Planet Green Destination America is an American cable television channel owned by the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks unit of Warner Bros. Discovery. The network carries programming focused on the culture of the United States—including food, lifestyles, ...

in August 2010. In 2016, the

Stockholm International Water Institute The Stockholm International Water Institute, SIWI, works globally to change how water is understood, valued and managed. SIWI is a not-for-profit institute with a wide range of expertise in water governance – from sanitation and water resour ...

(SIWI) and

UN-Water United Nations Water (UN-Water) is an interagency mechanism that coordinates the efforts of United Nations entities and international organizations working on water and sanitation issues. :"Over 30 UN organizations carry out water and sanitation ...

commissioned director Sanjeev Chatterjee to create a short version on ''One Water'' featuring multiple winners of the Water Prize that is awarded each year by SIWI. This version of ''One Water'' was screened at the Water Prize celebrations in Stockholm in 2016.

Theme

''One Water'' assesses the deficiency of

potable Drinking water or potable water is water that is safe for ingestion, either when drunk directly in liquid form or consumed indirectly through food preparation. It is often (but not always) supplied through taps, in which case it is also calle ...

, safe water on a global scale. The movie highlights how communities across the world are dramatically suffering from a

lack Lack may refer to: Places * Lack, County Fermanagh, a townland in Northern Ireland * Lack, Poland * Łąck, Poland * Lack Township, Juniata County, Pennsylvania, US Other uses * Lack (surname) * Lack (manque), a term in Lacan's psychoanalyti ...

of our most valuable resource, thanks to

drought A drought is a period of drier-than-normal conditions.Douville, H., K. Raghavan, J. Renwick, R.P. Allan, P.A. Arias, M. Barlow, R. Cerezo-Mota, A. Cherchi, T.Y. Gan, J. Gergis, D. Jiang, A. Khan, W. Pokam Mba, D. Rosenfeld, J. Tierney, ...

pollution Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause harm. Pollution can take the form of any substance (solid, liquid, or gas) or energy (such as radioactivity, heat, sound, or light). Pollutants, the component ...

and other factors. It becomes apparent that although this issue demands an immediate, workable solution, the problem is not easily resolved. The filmmakers also discuss the vitality of water on parallel spiritual and physical levels.

Water crisis

A 2006

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

report stated that "there is enough water for everyone", but that access to it is hampered by mismanagement and corruption.UNESCO. (2006)
Water, a shared responsibility. The United Nations World Water Development Report 2
The

UN World Water Development Report The United Nations World Water Development Report (UWWDR is a global report that provides an authoritative and comprehensive assessment of the world’s freshwater resources. It is produced annually by the UNESCO World Water Assessment Programme (WW ...

(WWDR, 2003) from the World Water Assessment Program indicates that, in the next 20 years, the quantity of water available to everyone is predicted to decrease by 30 percent. 40 percent of the world's inhabitants currently have insufficient fresh water for minimal

hygiene Hygiene is a set of practices performed to preserve health. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), "Hygiene refers to conditions and practices that help to maintain health and prevent the spread of diseases." Personal hygiene refer ...

. More than 2.2 million people died in 2000 from

waterborne diseases Waterborne diseases are conditions (meaning adverse effects on human health, such as death, disability, illness or disorders) caused by pathogenic micro-organisms that are transmitted by water. These diseases can be spread while bathing, washing ...

(related to the consumption of contaminated water) or

. In 2004, the UK charity

WaterAid WaterAid is an international non-governmental organization, focused on water, sanitation and hygiene. It was set up in 1981 as a response to the UN International Drinking Water decade (1981–1990). As of 2025, it was operating in 30 countries. ...

reported that a child dies every 15 seconds from easily preventable water-related diseases.

Selected awards

*Winner, Best of Festival, Columbus International Film and Video Festival, 2009. * Winner, Best Cinematography Award and Winner, Honorable Mention, Documentary Feature, Fargo Film Festival, 2009. * Short listed for Awards Jury at 7th Annual Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival, Nevada City, California, January 10, 2009. * Winner, Best Documentary at Foyle Film Festival, The Northern Ireland International Film Festival, 2008, Derry, United Kingdom. * Winner of Best Feature Environmental Preservation 5th Annual Artivist Film Festival & Awards, 2008, Los Angeles, California * Winner, Best Film on Sustainable Development at Festival Cinemambiente 2008, Turin, Italy. * Winner, Honorable Mention Inspirational Excellence Award, Documentary Competition, at Bayou City Inspiration Film Festival, 2008, Houston, Texas. * Winner of the AMAP Prize, EcoVision Film Festival, 2007 Palermo, Italy. * Official Program Selection, Agua i Cine, 4th

World Water Forum The World Water Forum is one of the largest water-related gathering and conference that is jointly organized by the World Water Council and a co-host city that takes place every three years. Aim World Water Forum aims to: :* Raise awarenes ...

, 2006, Mexico City, Mexico (22 min version) * Winner of Documentary Award of Excellence and Best of Competition in Technical Merit Broadcast Education Association, Festival of Media Arts, 2004 (22 min version)

Other selected screenings

* INFOBAE – IV Pan-American Internet Communication Encounter, 9 December 2008, Buenos Aires, Argentina. * Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival, October 15–11 November 2008, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. *

Vancouver International Film Festival The Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) is an annual film festival held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, for two weeks in late September and early October. The festival is operated by the Greater Vancouver International Film Festi ...

, September 25–10 October 2008, Vancouver, BC, Canada. * Highway Africa Conference, Rhodes University, September 2008, Grahamstown, South Africa. * Salzburg Academy for Media and Global Change, August 2008, Salzburg, Austria. * International Forum of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) Organic World Congress, June 18–20, 2008, Modena, Italy. * Expo Zaragoza, June 14–14 September 2008, Zaragoza, Spain. * Miami International Film Festival, 22 February 2008, Miami, Florida.

References

External links

* {{Official website, http://www.onewater.org/movie.html
School of Communication
2008 films Documentary films about water and the environment Films set in India 2008 documentary films Water scarcity 2000s English-language films English-language documentary films