There's Something in the Water
There's Something in the Water | |
---|---|
Directed by | Elliot Page Ian Daniel |
Based on | There's Something in the Water: Environmental Racism in Indigenous and Black Communities by Ingrid Waldron |
Produced by | Elliot Page Ian Daniel Julia Sanderson Ingrid Waldron |
Cinematography | Ian Daniel Elliot Page |
Edited by | Xavier Coleman Hugo Perez |
Production company | 2 Weeks Notice |
Release date |
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Running time | 73 minutes |
Country | Canada |
Language | English |
There's Something in the Water is a 2019 Canadian documentary film, directed by Elliot Page[a] and Ian Daniel.[1] An examination of environmental racism, the film explores the disproportionate effect of environmental damage on Black Canadian and First Nations communities in Nova Scotia.[1] The film takes its name from Ingrid Waldron's book on environmental racism, There's Something in the Water.[2]
Synopsis[]
The film begins by depicting conditions in the black community outside of Shelburne, Nova Scotia, where a correlation between contaminated well water and elevated rates of cancer went unaddressed. The film also explores Indigenous communities in Nova Scotia which were negatively impacted by water pollution such as Boat Harbour and Mi'kmaw tribal lands.[3]
Production[]
The film was co-directed and produced by Elliot Page and Ian Daniel, who had previously worked together on the documentary series Gaycation. Starting in April 2019, it was shot on location in Nova Scotia and includes interviews with various environmental activists from marginalized communities, along with archival news footage.[4][5] Page made the film with $350,000 of his own money.[6]
Release[]
The film premiered at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival[7] and was released on Netflix on March 27, 2020.[8]
Reception[]
On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 77% of 13 critic reviews are positive, and the average rating is 7.3/10.[9] According to Metacritic, which sampled six critics and calculated a weighted average score of 62 out of 100, the film received "generally favorable reviews".[10]
Jordan Mintzer of The Hollywood Reporter gave a mostly positive review, concluding that "Made in a standard documentary format that includes a voiceover and a tad too much weepy music, Water gets its job done directly enough, underlining a situation that remains dire despite what seems to be a growing level awareness around the country."[2]
Notes[]
- ^ Credited as Ellen Page
References[]
- ^ a b "Nova Scotian stories of environmental racism hit the big screen at TIFF in Ellen Page documentary". Toronto Star, July 31, 2019.
- ^ a b "'There's Something in the Water': Film Review | TIFF 2019". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2020-02-21.
- ^ Harvey, Dennis (2019-09-19). "Toronto Film Review: 'There's Something in the Water'". Variety. Retrieved 2020-02-21.
- ^ Shaffer, Claire (2020-02-19). "Watch the Trailer for Ellen Page's Environmental Documentary 'There's Something in the Water'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2020-02-21.
- ^ Wilner, Norman (2019-09-14). "TIFF review: There's Something In The Water". Now. Retrieved 2020-02-21.
- ^ Steinmetz, Katy (March 16, 2021). "Elliot Page on His Identity and Where He Goes From Here". Time. Archived from the original on March 16, 2021. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
Page made a documentary called There's Something in the Water, which explores environmental hardships experienced by communities of color in Nova Scotia, with $350,000 of his own money.
- ^ Barry Hertz, "TIFF 2019: Toronto festival’s Canadian lineup a mix of familiar faces, exciting rookies and a starring role for David Cronenberg". The Globe and Mail, July 31, 2019.
- ^ "Ellen Page: "The more we filmed … the more incredible women we met"". Halifax Examiner. Retrieved 2020-02-21.
- ^ "There's Something in the Water (2019)", Rotten Tomatoes, Fandango, retrieved 2021-10-10
- ^ There's Something in the Water Reviews, retrieved 2021-01-23
External links[]
- 2019 films
- English-language films
- Canadian films
- Canadian documentary films
- Documentary films about racism in Canada
- Documentary films about environmental issues
- 2019 documentary films