Water Pressures is an interesting documentary dealing with the global water crisis and water shortages in India. It gives some great insights into what life is like in India, but it fails to go to the roots of the problem.
The film follows students from Northwestern University as they travel to Rajasthan in India to learn about the water shortage there. These sequences are the most interesting, as they show how the students adjust to Indian culture. To its credit, the documentary does not try to conceal the culture shock experienced by some students. Their interactions with ordinary Indians are very revealing, as they and the viewer come to understand the deep poverty of the country.
However, the film ignores a lot of serious issues contributing to the water shortage, giving little attention to class divisions and overpopulation. For example, there is little discussion of the role of social inequality in limiting access to water. Although the documentary contrasts America and India, it leaves unspoken the divide between Indian elites and peasants. One suspects that rich Indians don't have to walk six to eight hours for water.
Similarly, the issue of overpopulation in India is left unspoken. If birth control and abortion were used more extensively, there would be more water to go around. Women, who bear the primary burdens of the water shortage, would benefit particularly from such measures.
The film follows students from Northwestern University as they travel to Rajasthan in India to learn about the water shortage there. These sequences are the most interesting, as they show how the students adjust to Indian culture. To its credit, the documentary does not try to conceal the culture shock experienced by some students. Their interactions with ordinary Indians are very revealing, as they and the viewer come to understand the deep poverty of the country.
However, the film ignores a lot of serious issues contributing to the water shortage, giving little attention to class divisions and overpopulation. For example, there is little discussion of the role of social inequality in limiting access to water. Although the documentary contrasts America and India, it leaves unspoken the divide between Indian elites and peasants. One suspects that rich Indians don't have to walk six to eight hours for water.
Similarly, the issue of overpopulation in India is left unspoken. If birth control and abortion were used more extensively, there would be more water to go around. Women, who bear the primary burdens of the water shortage, would benefit particularly from such measures.
