Water and Power: A California Heist

The 2017 documentary Water and Power: A California Heist unravels the complex, controversial, and unruly politics of California's water rights that has a profound impact on the countless lives and livelihoods tied to this precious resource. Helmed by distinguished filmmaker and director Marina Zenovich, this National Geographic documentary endeavors to investigate the intricate and convoluted web of money, politics, and power that controls California's water supply.

The film starts with an overview of the geographical dilemma California has always faced – being a state where the majority of the water lies in the north, while the majority of the population and agricultural activities are stationed in the arid and dry south. This basic divergence of resources and needs has led to a massive web of infrastructure to transport water across the length and breadth of the state, giving rise to varied conflicts and tussles.

Water and Power: A California Heist meticulously examines these conflicts from a unique perspective, offering an in-depth look at economic and environmental injustices that involve billionaires, politicians, small farmers, and everyday Californians. The film unveils how the water is diverted from farmers and communities to serve large corporate lands and late-stage industrial agricultural operations owned by wealthy individuals or entities.

The true focus of the documentary, however, revolves around the intriguing narrative of how the control of water has essentially become a corporate play. It sheds light on the murky waters of water barons who manipulate water resources for their profit, leaving ordinary Californians high and dry, metaphorically and literally.

Delving into the devastating drought that wreaked havoc on California between 2012 and 2017, Zenovich presents a compelling portrait of a state in environmental crisis. The scarcity of water, deteriorating infrastructure, and widening wealth disparities that the drought brought to light, prompts viewers to reflect on much larger universal themes of power, inequity, and the impending global water crisis.

The film takes its viewers on a fascinating exploration, drawing back the curtain on a handful of powerful water barons who shaped California’s water distribution mechanism to create a privatized source of water purely for their benefit. Juxtaposing this narrative with the stories and voices of ordinary people affected by these power plays, Zenovich builds a gripping narrative of regulatory failure, exploitation, and resilience.

Throughout the 87-minutes of runtime, Zenovich employs extensive research, insightful interviews, an aesthetic narrative, and impressive visuals to articulate the sheer complexity of the issue at hand. "Water and Power: A California Heist" functions as a case study of the worst kind of corruption, the kind that involves basic human necessities.

The documentary convincingly exposes the fickle nature of our lawmakers and corporations who, driven by greed and power, use necessary resources as a commodity for profit, leaving a trail of inequity and injustice behind. It highlights how the unrelenting battles over water rights have resulted in grave issues which impact communities, devastate farmlands, and disrupt ecosystems.

Superior in its storytelling style, Zenovich does a commendable job, transcending the landscape of a mere environmental documentary, and expertly weaves elements of crime and investigative journalism into it. It’s a captivating watch that engages viewers on multiple levels, enhancing awareness about water conservation and its unlawful mismanagement prevalent not just in California, but around the globe.

In conclusion, "Water and Power: A California Heist" is an evocative and eye-opening documentary that sheds light on the unthinkable reality of water exploitation in California, serving as a stark reminder of our responsibilities towards water conservation and the need for global action against such injustices. It is an important exploration of the crossroads where water rights, money, and power meet, making it a must-watch for anyone interested in understanding the larger implications of unchecked corporate control, corruption, and the looming global water crisis.