Journalism

No words needed to communicate water disasters

1H2O, a documentary by Sanjeev Chatterjee and Ali Habashi of the Knight Center for International Media at the University of Miami’s School of Communication, was shown to 20,000 children in 150 locations across India on March 22nd for World Water Day 2009.

Google Map Showing 1H2O Screening Sites

The documentary, which has no commentary or dialogue, shows the world water crisis from the perspective of communities at risk of flooding and droughts. It communicated a complex topic simply enough that the children understood that water was a precious commodity at risk from commoditization and climate change. See a clip from the film below:

The filmmakers decided where to show 1H2O by working with Pratham, a citizen’s group that supports childhood education in communities across India.

UN-Water, a cooperative effort among UN agencies focusing on water preservation and access, will host World Water Week in Stockholm from Aug. 16-22.

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