Above Water

Aïssa Maïga

In the Azawak region of Niger lies the village Tatiste. Because of climate change the villagers have to deal with severe lack of water supplies. Even though there should be enough water underground. That’s why the villagers try to get permission to bore and get water from below.

This documentary expertly shows how climate change leads to regions becoming seemingly uninhabitable. The residents mention that they are hit hard and that things aren’t like they used to be. The teacher of the school class also puts his finger on the sore spot. The rich and therefore western countries are the ones bearing the most responsibility for climate change, but a village like Tatiste is the first one who has to deal with the problems arising.

Not only does this documentary give a voice to these people and shows that they won’t be silenced anymore, it also is cinematographically impressive. The clear colours and mesmerizing landscape shots make this a colourful portrait showing the beauty too. The film as a whole makes it clear that these residents don’t simply need saving. The rich should take responsibility, but until then these people fight back and will deal with the problems they encounter.

Credits

Director
Aïssa Maïga
Producer
Jean-François Camilleri, Yves Darondeau, Serge Hayat, Raphaël Perchet
Year
2021
Country of production
France, Belgium
Type
Documentary
Duration
90 minutes
Spoken language
French
Subtitles
EN
Production company
Bonne Pioche, Echo Studio
World Sales
Orange Studio