Movie reveals one woman’s fight for water
The true story of Perween Rahman - a remarkable woman who sacrificed everything to secure clean, safe water for Pakistan's poorest communities - has been brought to life in a new film. Into Dust is the latest project of Academy Award winning film director Orlando von Einsiedel, and is now available for streaming on Amazon Prime.
Commenting on the film, von Einsiedel said: “This is a story that really spoke to me on multiple levels and we thought, how can we pay tribute to Perween Rahman’s extraordinary life and work, whilst also making a film that sparks a conversation about the global water crisis. We stepped away from a traditional documentary format to tell a docudrama story that we hope people can emotionally connect to.
“What we also wanted to show is that when water starts to become scarce, it doesn’t just mean the taps are going dry. The effects are felt through all aspects of society - social, economic, political and environmental.”
The drama-documentary brings attention to the value of water by celebrating those who work relentlessly to secure the necessary solutions. It was made possible by sponsorship from the Grundfos Foundation, which has worked closely with some of the world’s most experienced non-governmental organisations, providing access to safe drinking water for the world’s poorest.
Poul Due Jensen, president and chief executive of water pump manufacturer Grundfos said, “The Foundation and Grundfos both want to play a vital role in solving the world’s water and climate challenges. All stakeholders need to contribute to ensure that we solve the water crisis and live up to our obligations.”
The world faces a major water crisis. According to the United Nations, more than 2 billion people live without access to safe water and 785 million lack access to basic water, even though access to safe drinking water is a human right. These numbers are expected to grow as a consequence of climate change.
One woman’s heroic effort to fight the injustice
Into Dust focuses on one woman’s heroic effort to fight the injustice of poor communities having to pay high prices for water, set against the backdrop of a global water crisis. Cities all over the world face major water stress in the coming years unless action is taken. Those expected to experience water stress by 2030 include Karachi, San Francisco, Houston, Rio de Janeiro, Madrid, Rome, London, Tel Aviv, Durban, Cape Town, Tokyo, Beijing, Manila, Jakarta, Sydney, Melbourne.
Release of Into Dust experienced a series of postponements due to Covid-19, but the film is now ready to be shared and available for streaming on Amazon Prime.