H20 MX is a very thought-provoking social documentary that explores the various problems people in the city of Mexico face in looking for access to clean water. The access to clean water is a very important and essential human right and which every person requires for adequate living. The over 22 million population in Mexico City is faced with many political, geographical, economic, and environmental problems that affect their access to a reliable clean water source. Some of these problems include the hazardous detergent increase in the clouds, farmers using wastewater for irrigation, and Chalco citizens who are affected by perennial floods.
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This documentary adopts both expository and observational modes. The expository mode provides a narration allowing the documentary author to disseminate important information (Nichols, 67). Conversely, the observational mode provides the viewers with a real life situation, allowing the viewers to deduce conclusions on themselves based on what they observe (Buckland and Branigan 116). The documentary provides the audience with a narration of the current water problem facing the people living in Mexico City as well as allows viewers to observe the state of the water problem by interviewing various people about the problems they face concerning water. In addition, the documentary is a case study that highlights the water situation in Mexico City as well as the neighboring states and the various problems that the people face despite Mexico City being developed over an aquifer that is being depleted by the ever-growing population in the city.
It shows how despite the city having some places with good and clean water, most of the parts of the city are faced with water problems. Most people are forced to spend a lot of money and time in the cause of looking for clean water. It also shows how the drainage system has worsened over the years, and how farmers in neighboring states use this dirty water to irrigate their crops. The major theme of the movie is the need to develop sustainable practices, policies, and strategies that will enable such densely populated areas to manage various social and resource based problems such as the access to clean and usable water. The use of the expository and observational modes is vey helpful as it helps the film directors, Cohen José and Hagerman Lorenzo, to pass this message effectively to the audience as they are able to portray the various political, geographical, economic, and environmental problems that the population faces in their efforts to access clean water.
The H20 documentary highlights the water problem in Mexico City that originates from the fact that Mexico City was developed in an area surrounded by ancient lakes. The documentary leads the viewer to have a clear understanding of the origin of water problems in Mexico City and how this problem influences human behavior. The cultural history, gender, location and politics have all played a part in shaping the water resource policies in Mexico. These anthropological aspects have thus influenced the strategies for water management and also the physical and cultural landscape. In other words, the documentary demonstrates the way human population shapes the environment and the resultant manner in which the created relationships affect the social economic as well as political landscape.
The documentary strongly supports the claims that management of water resources in Mexico should go beyond enhancing economic efficiency and technological innovation to including aspects like fairness to access to water and protection of the less privileged members of the society. In fact, this documentary highlights the social and economic inequalities that influence the behavior of the society. While the rich and the well up can afford portable water, the poor are marginalized as far as access to clean and adequate drinking water is concerned.
The documentary demonstrates the instability in water supply where at times water is so scares while in other times there is too much water. The developing urban neighborhoods lack access to supply of clean running water. In these areas, the vendors provide water using tankers for carrying water or though handcarts. In the poorer neighborhoods, people spend considerable amounts of time in queues with portable containers for carrying water. The documentary clearly illustrates how the population has adapted to the current situation depending on the economic wellbeing. As the population in the city swells, people have to commit more resources to increasing the supply. In areas where water is not portable, they accept the situation as the status quo and may not take serous protection measure in ensuring that water for human consumption is clean and safe.
The documentary presents the relationship between populations in urban areas and those in rural areas and established a connection through the ecological factors. The sewerage system from urban areas is channeled out though rivers that flow to rural areas. Farmers rely on river water for irrigation. As contaminated as it is, the farmers use the water to irrigate their crops, which is majorly sold, in urban markets. The indication from one farmer that “the city sends poop.but we send it back with our produce” is a clear manifestation of the water and sewerage problems not just in Mexico city but also in other areas and how it relate to the prevailing social and economic challenges.
The documentary clearly illustrates the interaction between man and the environment and how the contribute to the wellbeing of each other. Social, cultural as well as economic have a direct influence to the environment. The fact that people use water without considering mechanisms of replenishing the water is a key source of the water problem in Mexico City. It is observed that, the city was developed in the middle of water resources. Decades after, the city encounters major water problems from the fact that no measures are put in place to conserve the environment. Another important aspect in this documentary is the illustration of how people are inadequately utilizing the available resources to address the water problem. Harvesting of rainwater is one example of initiatives that has been proposed of using the evaluable resources to address the water problem. The water problem in Mexico acts as a trigger for development of new ideas and concept not only for enabling the people concerned to cope with the problems but also as a way of eradicating the problem.
It is evident that, the environment has played a major role in shaping the relationships between people of different social and economic backgrounds. Access to running water is viewed as a kind of disparity that is skewed in favor members of the community who are economically privileged, (Simon, 2013).
In H20 MX film, the filmmaker has employed a dramatic aerial photography. The film has easily assimilated statistics. The statistics are well presented to the viewers by the use of eye-catching graphics as well as attractive animation. The film has been made in such a way that it delivers its message precisely to both experts as well as the ordinary people. The filmmaker has used the camera angles to illustrate or reveal to the audience the relationship of the characters in the film as well as their importance in the film. For instance, where the characters are shot from below appears to be more powerful and imposing than the one shot from above. The filmmaker has used off-center/skewed angles suggesting mental disturbance.
When the camera point of view is shifted from one point of view to another, the viewer’s attention is redirected and this creates a new emotion for the audience. The camera angles in the film have been used to call attention of the audience to important situations as well as relationships in scenes. Camera angles are also used to determine the background of the picture. For instance, the upward angle is the shot made against the sky, the cloud banks as well as walls. In the H20 MX film, the filmmaker has been able to make optimum use of the sound effects to add realism in the film, suspense as well as humor to various scenes in the film. The soundtracks, both diegetic and non-diegetic have been used sometimes louder and other times softer than in used in real life to generate suspense and other times create different moods.
The sound editors in the film have been able to make use of various sound and image as well as silence contrasts to bring more suspense and moods. For instance, there is use of rhythm, the tempo, the melody and the dissonance as well as instrumentation in the film to convey different moods, emotions of the characters. This has been done to show the character’s emotions and moods that the imagery or the dialogue alone cannot be able to illustrate, (AMPAS, 2009). Music in the scene has been used to let the audience realize how the characters feel. The filmmaker opted to use editing techniques such as brief shots to bring some feelings of excitement as well as tension to audience.
Various cinematography techniques have been used in the H20 MX film. For instance, where the filmmaker wants to create a restful atmosphere, long and unbroken shots are used. High and low, contrasts have been used to illustrate different events in the scenes. Color mix has been used to provide realism or the glamour as well as create aesthetic patterns. Moreover, different colors employed in the film have established the characters emotions in different scenes, (Kidd, 1998).
Works cited
AMPAS. Reading between the frames. 2009. Retrieved November 2, 2014 from http://www.oscars.org/sites/default/files/complete_media_literacy_guide.pdf,
Buckland, Warren, and Branigan Edward. The Routledge Encyclopedia of Film Theory. New York: Routledge, 2013. Print.
Kidd, V. To Shape and Direct the Audience's Point of View:Production Appeals.(1998). Retrieved November 2, 2014 from http://www.csus.edu/indiv/k/kiddv/ProductionTechniques.htm
Nichols, Bill. Introduction to Documentary. 2nd ed. Indianapolis, Indiana: Indiana University Press, 2010. Print.
Simon, A. This well-researched, smartly assembled documentary makes a persuasive case on behalf of responsible water management. 2013. Retrieved November 2, 2014 from http://variety.com/2013/film/reviews/h2o-mx-review-1200766514/
