American Thirst, Canadian Water 2000
Distributed by Filmakers Library, 124 East 40th Street New York NY 10016; 212-808-4980
Produced by Terence McKeown, Betty Thompson
Directed by Jerry Thompson
VHS, color, 43 min.
High School - Adult
International Relations, Canadian Studies
Date Entered: 11/09/2018
Reviewed by Michael J. Coffta, Business Librarian, Bloomsburg University of PennsylvaniaBased on current consumption trends, the United States will soon need to tap into Canada’s fresh water supply. In California, the population has just reached 33 million, now greater than the entire nation of Canada. By 2020, the population of California will become 50 million.
The Canadian government has declared a temporary moratorium on the export of water, citing that the extraction of water from Canada’s ecosystem will affect spawning grounds, ocean temperature, currents, saline balance, and plankton growth. The Canadian economy, on the other hand, would benefit from the $1 billion annual revenue from the enterprise of just one company, Sun Belt International.
This documentary provides an excellent analysis the debate over NAFTA’s classification of water as a good of commerce, and offers a fair representation of the viewpoints of all involved. The film is presented in letterbox format and offers many gorgeous scenes of rushing streams and babbling brooks. The film also has several 3 to 5 second pauses of a blank screen, designed to let the preceded argument sink into the audience.
This fine work comes highly recommended for all audiences above and including high schools students. The most striking feature of this film is its accommodation of the breadth of the discussion. The editors displayed the urgency of the concern on the parts of those involved without appearing biased or alarmist. The film work is nothing short of exquisite.