There's Something in the Water

There's Something in the Water is a 2019 Canadian documentary film, directed by Elliot Page 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]

There's Something in the Water
Film poster
Directed byElliot Page
Ian Daniel
Based onThere's Something in the Water: Environmental Racism in Indigenous and Black Communities
by Ingrid Waldron
Produced byElliot Page
Ian Daniel
Julia Sanderson
Ingrid Waldron
CinematographyIan Daniel
Elliot Page
Edited byXavier Coleman
Hugo Perez
Production
company
2 Weeks Notice
Release date
  • September 8, 2019 (2019-09-08) (TIFF)
Running time
73 minutes
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish

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 such as Pictou Landing First Nation which was affected by water pollution in Boat Harbour and Sipekneꞌkatik First Nation and his fighting against a gas company's plan to release salt brine into the Shubenacadie River.[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, 79% of 14 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]

References
  1. "Nova Scotian stories of Environmental racism hit the big screen at TIFF in Ellen Page documentary". Toronto Star, July 31, 2019.
  2. "'There's Something in the Water': Film Review | TIFF 2019". The Hollywood Reporter. 8 September 2019. Retrieved 2020-02-21.
  3. Harvey, Dennis (2019-09-19). "Toronto Film Review: 'There's Something in the Water'". Variety. Retrieved 2020-02-21.
  4. 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.
  5. Wilner, Norman (2019-09-14). "TIFF review: There's Something In The Water". Now. Retrieved 2020-02-21.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. "Ellen Page: "The more we filmed … the more incredible women we met"". Halifax Examiner. 20 February 2020. Retrieved 2020-02-21.
  9. "There's Something in the Water (2019)", Rotten Tomatoes, Fandango, retrieved 2023-09-10
  10. There's Something in the Water Reviews, retrieved 2021-01-23
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