Watch The Water Tower

The Water Tower is a captivating environmental documentary that follows African elephant conservationist, Dudu Douglas-Hamilton, alongside climber and skier, Kim Havell, and photographer/filmmaker, Peter McBride, on their expedition to climb and measure Tanzania's iconic mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro. This film also follows the importance of protecting the world's glaciers and water towers – sources of water for many people, especially those who rely on glacial melt in Tanzania and Kenya for their everyday needs.

The Water Tower is both a call to action and a sobriety-inducing reflection on what we stand to lose if we don't act quickly. This intimate documentary, shot over just one month, seamlessly transitions between the action-packed climb and the deeply moving interviews that highlight the African people's relationship with the mountain and its glaciers.

The film's dramatic opening shots of Mount Kilimanjaro showcase its natural beauty and draw in the viewer. From there, the documentary shifts to its principal message: that the planet's water towers, including Kilimanjaro's glacier, are in danger of disappearing, along with many of the people that rely on them. The film takes on the classic documentary storytelling, weaving together interviews, breathtaking landscapes, and impressive shots of a mountain and its sweeping natural milieu.

The filmmakers explore the struggle with the politics involved in trying to preserve Mount Kilimanjaro's glacier. The film highlights the various ways that impoverished communities are impacted by threats to the water towers, including pollution and climate change. The Water Tower punctuates the outlook of an ecosystem in peril with shocking images of local heroes who are battling this ecological catastrophe.

Douglas-Hamilton's role as an African elephant conservationist is a perfect fit for this story; he brings his years of expertise to bear here as he helps explain the natural and human systems that are now converging to change the ecology of Kilimanjaro and Kenya. Havell, a climber and skier, is the go-to expert on all things Mount Kilimanjaro, and McBride's strong set of visual eyes has captured mesmerizing footage of the journey to the top of the mountain.

One of the documentary's most striking segments includes interviews with the African people who live on the mountain and discuss how much they have already lost due to the melting glacier. They talk about the added burdens they have faced because of the lack of water, including illness and loss of land. Thus, the film also explores how these communities are fighting back, including through the use of terracing and desilting, as well as the establishment of tree-plantation programs.

The topic covered in the documentary hits home hard. But as much as it is a warning, it is also a powerful celebration of those who have dedicated their lives to preserving the planet for the next generation. The sober, respectful tone of The Water Tower is powerful yet never depressing, always seeking to inspire and educate rather than wallow in defeat. The message is unmistakable, but the hope remains.

In conclusion, The Water Tower is a beautifully executed documentary that highlights the importance of preserving our planet's natural resources for future generations. It's a realization that should strike close to home for all of us, and one that the filmmakers have expertly brought to life. The Water Tower is an essential watch for everyone around the globe who is invested in the environment and what our future might hold if we do not make changes right now.

The Water Tower is a 2013 adventure movie with a runtime of 27 minutes.