Soon to be released documentary, Behind the Water, focuses on how contaminated water is still the number one killer worldwide. Hosted by Fraser Kershaw, the film showcases families from Latin America overcoming all odds to find clean water. It’s directed by Nat Geo’s Doug Clevenger, scored by Brent Kutzle from Grammy Award winning One Republic, and produced by Oscar award winning producer Gray Frederickson from the Godfather and Emmy award winning producer Greg Mellott from Jackie Chan. The team of filmmakers work together in unison to bring awareness to issue of contaminated water for the populations of the world. The film also highlights the work of with Ana Rodriguez from Jalisco, Mexico, who defies the odds of gravity collecting data in the most impressive fashion. Kershaw says, “She’s the one who dances with the trees.”
Rodriguez collects leaves in hopes to document rainfall patterns. Rodriguez is known to climb trees without any fear because she rarely uses a ladder or harness to collect samples. She monitors how well trees survive depending on how much rainfall they received that year. Water flow through leaves is one of the most important but least understood components of the whole-plant hydraulic system. Rodriguez says, “Leaves represent a substantial fraction of the total resistance to water flow through plants.” Kershaw spent time with Rodriguez in her lab assessing the importance of sugar samples from leaves. Kershaw finds her data significant as a way to pin point a drought and assess solutions.
Behind the Water will be released in 2015. Catch a glimpse:
Behind the Water by behindthewater