Click here to learn more about The Water Front and to view clips of the movie.
Q: What inspired you to make this film?
A: I wanted to explore the impact of water politics on women’s lives. With a pre-production grant from Paul Robeson, I traveled to Africa, Latin America, Europe, and North America exploring water stories. I even spent a week at Suez, the big transnational water corporation in France. My explorations ended when I visited Highland Park and discovered that residents of one of the poorest cities in America had these outrageous water bills. Having grown up in Baltimore, Maryland, I felt like this could easily be my home city. That realization forced me to narrow my focus and probe deeper. I was drawn to the incredibly strong women in this community who were approaching the crisis from very different positions. (I should mention that I am working on a “water and women” channel through blip TV to present all the footage I gathered in pre-production.)
Q: Throughout the film, it was never entirely clear to me why water prices in Highland Park were so much more expensive than average water prices in the rest of the country. Were residents paying for the city’s past missteps and debt?
A: Clarifying this point was a huge challenge in making the film because the answer is not simple. The rate increases exacerbated many other problems in an old water system (leaks, inconsistent billing practices, estimated bills, etc.). So if you had been receiving an estimated bill and paying it on time for several years and then a meter reading was done indicating a leak in the system, you might get a huge bill. In fact, the rate increases were not too far off from other rate increases around the country—it’s a trend. That said, the rate increases were especially significant for Highland Park—in Highland Park, water rates come out to 4.5 percent of a monthly income where as in Lansing, the capitol, they are only .8 percent of a monthly income.
Q: What was your impression of the emergency financial manager/consultant who is brought in?
A: Ramona Pearson is a dynamic and competent woman in a very complicated situation. In addition to working as the emergency financial manager, she continued to work as a corporate accountant. So she really had her hands full, which is why she hired a consulting team to help out. What I witnessed over time was an increasing communication gap between her team, the residents, and the workers.
Q: What has happened to Highland Park’s water privatization problem since the making of this film? Has anything changed now that a new consultant has been hired?
A: The water plant has not been privatized, but the workers are really struggling with inadequate staff and funding. Losing Gloria was a tragedy for the water plant because she took care of that plant as if it were her own. Residents are still trying to get their water bills off of their property tax statements and Detroit has just implemented the same measure …
Q: What was the biggest challenge in making this film?
A: The challenges were many. The situation was complex and trying to do it justice was a challenge. Also, I had very, very little funding to make the film so it took a long time and a lot of favors. The positive side of this is that so many people got involved and helped out and I am incredibly grateful for that.
Q: Who has inspired or informed your documentary filmmaking? Are there particular challenges you’ve encountered as a woman making doc films?
A: Kim Longimotto is an inspiration. In her work, you feel the intimacy of the camera and her respect for everyone she brings into the frame. And she finds the most amazing female protagonists. Challenges as a woman in making films …. for every challenge there is also the advantage—mine are editing, and economics!
