Given its controversial title, "Flow" turned out to be a rather well- balanced documentary. It focuses on the often overlooked impact of water shortages or lack of its affordability in many poor and often densely populated rural areas. While the move focuses primarily on rural India, it also offers some engaging overview of the situation in the US. The principal argument is that first, the water should remain a public resources. Second, locally-managed water pumps sustained by recipient communities make clean drinking water both cheaper and more fairly distributed. As an example, the movie gives a community-run UV treatment facility, where 10 litres of clean drinking water per person per day can be obtained at less than $2 per year.To give a sense of balance, the movie features commentary by a former IMF official and the CEO of Vivendi - a water management business. However, those are often used simply to back producer's intention to vilify practices by MNCs such as Videndi, Suez or Nestle. A more- informed discussion of the benefits those companies bring would have been welcome. The movie also offers no discussion of severe under-pricing of water which in turn leads to overconsumption. There is also no discussion of the potential socio-economic benefits that dams can bring to the affected regions. Notwithstanding, the documentary was both very informative and stimulating. While a bit light on cost-benefit analysis, it will be appreciated not only by Development Economists by all those with broader interest in the world around them.Dominik Kania

Well, that is the world we live in. Relentless greed, appalling lack of information on our media, corruption and oppression. Water will be the cause of the biggest war that this unfortunate planet ever had. Money, power, oil- all the good reasons for violence and bloodletting. But, water- the pure life force is something that we can not live without. It isn't about greed or desire to possess- it is about survival. Corporations are the devil. They own politicians, they own media, they own the world. You cant even sue them, the whole corrupt system works for their benefit. But the human spirit bursts and explodes, and the world we live in, will change or evaporate like it never was.

Unfortunately, Flow takes an important subject and reduces it to sound bytes from community activists played over poorly photographed and edited b-roll and interviews. All emotion and no brains. The film has no coherent structure, rather it wanders from example to example of purported corporate water transgressions without actually examining the science behind the problems. I really believe that these problems need to be addressed so I'm saddened by an approach that is not effective. While I sympathize with (what I believe to be) the message of the filmmakers, they do such a poor job of supporting their arguments with anything substantive, as a viewer I'm left feeling slighted by their lack of investigation or presentation. They are guilty of all the same things I hate about Fox news, just on the other side of the political spectrum.

I love the critic who gave this two stars: they only have one review, and they lump Flow, Sicko, No Logo together under the title of "Anti-capitalist" - they are more than entitled to their opinion, but rather like those who dismiss environmental damage as a necessary collateral of feeding the masses, so water is just water, huh, not THE commodity of the 21st century?Should it be privatized? Should it be run for a profit? Why do I pay taxes? Given that water is the ultimate human need shouldn't it be the most carefully guarded human right? At least Flow starts to ask and raise these questions.If you thought An Inconvenient Truth was an eye opener Flow will change forever your awareness of water issues.If the purpose of this type of documentary is to raise awareness then it succeeds. Massively.