Water Works & Fierce Light: Cool Docs Out Now on DVD

ACHBAR EXECUTIVE PRODUCTIONS!

Over the last year, three films executive produced by Mark Achbar (Producer/Director of The Corporation) have launched. Says Achbar, “Velcrow Ripper's excellent new film 'Fierce Light: When Spirit Meets Action' was the first of four theatrical feature documentaries that I've helped produce to hit mainstream movie theatres. A substantial portion of the film's budget came from my 'performance envelope,' a special fund set up by Telefilm Canada to recognize The Corporation's box office success.”

The film portrays stories of what Martin Luther King called "love in action," what Gandhi called "soul force" and what Ripper is calling "fierce light." It features many familiar activist faces but also a lesser known beacon of fierce light – Leela Kumari – a ferocious advocate for India's Dalit people who are denigrated by as the lowest caste. She exposes the situation of Dalit Women and the Indian black untouchable apartheid.

Fierce Light, Blue Gold and Waterlife are now out on DVD! Nearing completion are Pax Americana, and A Short History of Progress.

WATER WORKS

The issue of water has been on our radar since The Corporation profiled Bolivia’s fight against Bechtel. For this reason, filmmaker Sam Bozzo got in touch with Mark when Bozzo was making his film Blue Gold.  “Sam wrote to me,” says Achbar. “He was a fan of The Corporation and he was looking to find out where we got some of that footage because he also wanted to tell and expand on that story. He asked if I would mind watching a rough cut of that film, and one thing led to another.” The film was based on a book by Maude Barlow and Tony Clarke of the Council of Canadians. Barlow appears in the film and was  also featured in The Corporation.

Mark’s role as executive producer on Blue Gold was as an advisor because the film was an American production and he could not support it through the Telefilm envelope. However, Kevin McMahon’s Waterlife was able to access that funding. Watelife’s theatrical launch came at time when the Canadian Film Funding had hit an all time low point. As Achbar puts it, “With the cancellation of CBC's The Lens, and with Newsworld's The Passionate Eye mainly acquiring rather than commissioning films, documentaries are becoming an endangered species.” He followed this with an impassioned plea to support documentaries, by going to them in the theatre when they launch and, of course, by buying the DVD!

Achbar has glowing comments for Waterlife: “What I admire about this film is its remarkable ability to inform but not overload, to assign responsibility without pointing fingers, and to tell a tragic, cautionary tale, while washing your soul in exquisite imagery. As an executive producer on Waterlife, I had the pleasure and privilege to support and help shape this award-winning film, and to observe the working process of its director, Kevin McMahon. From the outset, Kevin had an exceptionally clear vision of what he wanted to do, and the finished work reflects the precision of his intention and command of his craft. Waterlife was deservedly awarded the Special Jury Prize at this year's Hot Docs, the most prestigious documentary film festival in North America. It was also recently invited by Michael Moore to screen at his film festival in Traverse City.”

All of these films have been working hard to connect with grassroots and activist groups around the issues within them. Please visit their websites for more action links.