Documentary depicts farm community short on water

The impacts of what happens when a farming community does not get its water allocations is portraited from the perspective of the farmers, workers and their Central Valley communities in the film "Fight for Water: A Farm Worker Struggle."

The Family Water Alliance is hosting two showings of the film by Juan Oseguera, who personally watched as his neighbors and others in the community struggled during the recent drought.

A filmmaker out of San Francisco State University, Oseguera said that while growing up he was inspired by blockbuster movies such as "Star Wars" and the "Terminator."

At the university, however, Oseguera was introduced to documentaries and quickly realized the impact such films can have on their viewers.

"I started to see the community's, the farmers', the farmworkers' frustration, and I didn't think it was something that should have happened," the 38-year-old filmmaker said.

"I was in the middle of it, and I thought it was something I should film," added Oseguera, who started out making a short films. "And it just kept growing and turned into a feature film."

Reviewers have called the film "compelling" and questioned how the drama could have ever happened in the United States.

The documentary has been featured at a number of festivals, including an international viewing.

Oseguera was thrilled when Family Water Alliance officials contacted him about showing it at the Colusa Theater during the 48th annual Farm Show.

The film will be screened at 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Feb. 6. There is no admission fee.

"This is an urgent movie to watch," Malcolm Media, of Keep California Farming and Vision Magazine said in his review.

"This an important film to see!"