Thirst

Is water part of a shared "commons," a human right for all people? Or is it a commodity to be bought, sold, and traded in a global marketplace? "Thirst" tells the stories of communities in Bolivia, India, and the United States that are asking these fundamental questions.

Over a billion people lack access to safe drinking water. Each year, millions of children die of diseases caused by unsafe water. The numbers are increasing.

These facts drive a debate in the opening scenes of “Thirst” at the 2003 Third World Water Forum in Kyoto, Japan. Politicians, international bankers, and corporate executives gather to decide who will control global fresh water supplies. Their consensus for large dams and privatized, corporate water systems is challenged by experts and activists who assert that water is a human right, not a commodity to be traded on the open market.

Oscar Olivera, a community leader from Bolivia, startles a panel of CEOs with his words, “Many of the companies represented here have stained the water with the blood of our compatriots.” The film briefly shifts to Bolivia where Olivera leads a full-scale insurrection against a water privatization contract with the US-based Bechtel Corporation. Tens of thousands of people battle police and the army to protect their water rights. After a sharpshooter kills 17-year-old Victor Hugo Daza, the government is forced to expel one of the world’s most powerful corporations.

The central story in “Thirst” takes place in Stockton, California. Mayor Gary Podesto proposes to give control of the water system to a consortium of global water corporations. He is surprised by the reaction as Stockton residents create a new grassroots coalition to demand a say in the decision. They are worried about price hikes, water quality, and layoffs of public employees, who tend to be women or people of color. African American water plant supervisor Michael McDonald sees democracy itself at stake in this battle.

In India, a grassroots movement for water conservation has rejuvenated rivers, literally changing the desert landscape. Led by Rajendra Singh, who locals call “a modern day Gandhi”, the movement opposes government efforts to sell water sources to companies like Coke and Pepsi. Singh journeys across India to organize resistance, finding millions eager to join his crusade.

The water activists from Bolivia, Stockton and India all meet at the World Water Forum in Kyoto as part of a new movement against global water privatization. As the Forum reaches it final day, no one anticipates the explosive outcome.

물은 과연 모두의 재산인가, 혹은 일부에게 소유되고 시장에서 거래되는 상품인가?
[Thirst]는 볼리비아와 인도 그리고 미국에서 물과 관련되어 일어난 일들을 통해
이러한 물의 본질에 대해 근본적인 질문을 던지는 다큐멘터리이다.

벡텔의 수자원 사유화를 통해 야기된 볼리비아 코차밤바 사태를 눈으로 직접 확인할 수 있고,
'현대의 간디'라고 불리는 Rajendra Singh를 위시한 인도의 현실에 대해서도 보다 자세한 이야기를 들어볼 수 있다.
개도국 뿐만 아니라 선진국인 미국 캘리포니아 Stockton에서 물관리 시스템을 다국적 수처리업체에 민영화하면서 벌어지는 시민들의 저항에 대해서도 자세히 다루고 있다.

많은 물과 관련된 다큐멘터리 중에서도 이러한 굵직굵직한 몇몇 사건들을 보다 심층적으로 다루고 있어 나름의 특색과 가치를 지닌 다큐멘터리라고 생각된다.

물 등의 생명과 직결되는 공공재는 사유화될 때 이득보다는 많은 폐해를 가져온다.
이에 생존과 깊은 연관성이 있는 공공재를 독과점적으로 공급하는 사기업들에 대한 투자는 재고될 필요가 있다고 생각한다.
그러한 사업에서 얻게 되는 일개 또는 소수 기업의 몫으로 돌아가는 수익보다는
나머지의 모든 사람들에게 나눠지는 불이익이 훨씬 더 클 가능성이 높기 때문이다.