For a film called "Water on the Table" there is remarkably little information on water, its commodification, its trends in usage, its cleanliness, its history. Basically, this film uses up about 1/4 of screen time for Maude 'in transit' in taxis, airports, and looking at her luggage. It spends another 1/4 of screen time on her hands, her legs, her fingers, her eyes. Another 1/4 of the visuals are close-up shots of flowing water. This only leaves 1/4 of screen time to actual content of any interest. It's not for lack of material to present, the film makers could have given us examples of private water takeovers in other countries, could have provided statistical data on water consumption in Canada with a breakdown of public and commercial use, could have presented trends in precipitation, lake and river levels, changes in composition, contamination. The film also could have given other examples of countries where water rights are progressing, but no none of these issues was ever addressed.
In fact, one of the most glaring omissions is a response to an argument presented by privatisation forces: "people who pay for their water are more likely to take care of the resource". This is an argument one hears quite often. Interestingly, corporations are pushing for individuals to pay for their water, but conveniently, it is NEVER suggested that corporations should pay for their extraction of water!! How convenient to say corporations ought to get it free, while pushing for individuals to pay for it. This seems typical of the Council of Canadians, they consistently fail to present a cohesive argument, which is sad because their cause is in itself a just one, but they lack the intellectual integrity to stay the course within a wider spectrum of criticism. This film is little more than a propaganda piece for the Council of Canadians and its hero and fails to inform viewers about the many future problems with the world's water supply.
