Watermark

PG B+

Jennifer Baichwal and Edward Burtynsky, the filmmakers behind Manufactured Landscapes, return with a new documentary in a similar vein. This time, the documentary director and Toronto-based art photographer focus their joint lens on water — the ubiquitous, life-giving element we generally take for granted. Without a single speech about the real face of climate change, Watermark still articulates a comprehensive argument about the undeniable toll of mass consumerism as it flies us around the world and shows how water has been redirected to meet man’s insatiable needs, often leaving lifeless deserts behind. Because the images are so weirdly surreal, Watermark leaves a ghostly impression that will no doubt prove haunting. Four stars out of five.