Turning Off the Taps: 'Flow,' A Cautionary Tale

IT'S OFTEN TAKEN for granted here that the faucet will work, that the bathtub will fill, and that the fridge at 7-Eleven will always contain bottles of Dasani. But filmmaker Irena Salina wants us to take a closer look at water.

Her documentary "Flow: For Love of Water," opening at E Street cinema on Friday, examines the multifaceted water crisis, from scarcity to pollution to dams to private water companies that have restricted water access to only those who can afford it.

The movie is at times disorganized, but that hardly detracts from its chilling message — that the days of "water, water everywhere" will soon be over.

» EXPRESS: I always turn off the tap while I'm brushing my teeth. Will that help? Is it enough?
» SALINA: It's awareness. We take water for granted. We have a whole generation of people who turn the shower on to get it warm, go do dishes, and then the phone rings. ... [Water]'s not just something coming from a tap. It's a source of life.

» EXPRESS: You ran into some budgetary issues while making this film, right?
» SALINA: [On the first trip], we had a small crew, and then we had a second trip, and we had a smaller crew, and then very quickly it was [the producers saying], "If you want to go, we'll give you mileage, but there's no way you can bring anybody." So I just did it. I learned so much.

» EXPRESS: Did anyone tell you just to stick to global warming?
» SALINA: What was tiring was having to constantly not just do the film, but convince my producer. I was a little ahead of my time. I was kind of screaming to people who were like, "What? What is she talking about? Leave me alone."

» EXPRESS: Some of the reviews have argued that, despite the worthy subject, the film is a little unfocused.
» SALINA: I had seen documentaries on water where you see scientists really explaining things in depth, but you know what happens? People click out of it. I wanted to find a form where you go from one place to another.

For me, it was like a waterway. You see something and then — voom! — I'm taking you somewhere else. If [viewers] can remember just one thing about it, that's great. And there are more films about water coming out. It's like a marathon; I'm running it, and now I'm passing the baton.

» Landmark's E Street Cinema, 555 11th St. NW; opens Fri.; 202-452-7672. (Metro Center)

Written by Express contributor Rachel Kaufman
Photo from flowthefilm.com