Over the years, I’ve found myself much more sympathetic to the men, women, and families working the land and living a much simpler life in contrast to the corporations invading small countries, taking their natural resources and empty promises of a brighter future. Will Parrinello’s documentary Water For Life makes me rethink many of the political issues in Central America that I grew up with in the 1980s. Still, ultimately, it’s about the rights of citizens to chart their own paths.
Water For Life takes us to Chile, El Salvador, and Honduras to explore some of the biggest water rights battles over the past two decades. In Chile, Alberto Curamil is the chief of the Mapuche people, who live along the Cautin River. In 2013, the Chilean government started dozens of dam projects to convert energy from fossil fuels to hydroelectric. In Chile, water is a commodity, and corporate entities buy the rights to use water over the citizens who live along the rivers. The government enacted these projects without consulting the Mapuche and other indigenous people. Unsure of the dam’s impact on their access to water and its effects on nature, Curamil and the Mapuche sued the government. The results of the lawsuit may surprise you, but Curamil’s sudden imprisonment for crimes he didn’t commit won’t.
Francisco Pineda is a corn grower in El Salvador. His community relies on clean and abundant water to survive. In 2002, Pacific Rim was one of many mining companies that paid off the government and started mining for El Salvador’s rich supply of gold. Pacific Rim promised environmentally friendly mining methods, but what happened was that 90% of natural water was contaminated with cyanide, lead, and arsenic. Like Curamil, Pineda sued and won, but now Pineda is a target of powerful executives controlling the military.

“Cáceres led protests and demonstrations…her success resulted in her assassination.”
The last story is of the late Berta Cáceres, the leader of the Lenca people in Honduras, who took on similar forces hoping to build hydroelectric dams all throughout Honduras without a single consultation with the Lenca people. Cáceres’ only offense was creating roadblocks to stop construction. Simple and effective, but the government was not having any of it. Cáceres led protests and demonstrations, and the people stood by her to the point that the Honduran government began shooting demonstrators, killing many, which led Chinese investors to break contracts. Ultimately, Cáceres’ success resulted in her assassination.
As a documentary, Water For Life effectively tells a story that sympathizes with and highlights the work of its subjects. Growing up in the 1980s, I remember news stories about U.S.-backed military coups in these regions. Today, we see the results of our actions, mostly in how the government backs a coup and then sends corporations in to bring “prosperity” without considering its people. In these situations, it’s easier to pay off officials than sway an entire country.
Was Water For Life fair to both sides? The film’s subjects are portrayed as saints, and the corporate executives are seen as the villains. I will give props to filmmaker Will Parrinello for allowing the opposition to speak. I’m sure they think that making their country more prosperous, like the U.S., is a good goal, but unlike the U.S., that decision belongs to the people, and Water For Life makes that clear. The subjects want a voice in the discussion.
Water For Life offers a compelling and heartfelt look into the ongoing struggle for water rights in Central America. It sheds light on the tireless efforts of individuals who stand up against corporations and the often violent government corruption they are subjected to. Ultimately, it’s a documentary that reminds us of the power of ordinary people to defend their rights and the land they call home.