March 6, 2017
Stella Artois and National Geographic announce Crystal Moselle’s documentary “Our Dream of Water” – a film spotlighting the effects of the global water crisis, making its world premiere on National Geographic on March 22 at 6:00 p.m. EST/PST in celebration of World Water Day. The documentary was commissioned by Stella Artois as a part of the “Buy A Lady A Drink” campaign, an ongoing partnership with Water.org to help provide clean water for people in the developing world. The film will debut during an exclusive showing at the Metrograph Theater tonight in New York City.
Directed by 2015 Sundance Grand Jury Prize Winner Crystal Moselle, “Our Dream of Water” focuses on the stories of women in Haiti, Peru and Kenya and their daily struggle to find clean, safe water. Their stories are representative of the 663 million people around the world who lack access to safe water, to help raise awareness of the global water crisis. Water.org served as an advisor on the project.
“It’s hard for many of us to grasp the idea that so many people lack access to clean, safe water,” said director Crystal Moselle. “Last year, Stella Artois asked me to visit Haiti, Peru and Kenya – three countries facing chronic water challenges – to tell stories from on the ground. I hope that this film underscores how critical this issue is and inspires viewers to want to be a part of the solution.”
“Our Dream of Water” is Moselle’s first film following her highly acclaimed documentary “The Wolfpack,” and follows three women and their communities. The global water crisis disproportionately affects women and children, who spend millions of hours a day collecting water instead of working, caring for family or attending school.
“All of my films are extremely character-driven, and that’s exactly what I wanted to do for ‘Our Dream of Water’ – find the right character to tell the story,” said Crystal Moselle. “In Haiti, I heard Marie before I even met her – because she was singing and dancing. What immediately drew me to her was her beautiful spirit, and that despite facing hardships that most of us will never know, she had an unshakable perseverance.”
Tune In: “Our Dream of Water” Premieres on National Geographic on World Water Day Scheduled as a marquee moment during the network’s World Water Month programming, people can tune-in to the premiere of “Our Dream of Water” on National Geographic at 6:00 p.m. EST/PST on World Water Day, March 22. An encore presentation will also air on March 23 at 3:00 p.m. EST/PST.
“We pride ourselves in our ability to tell powerful human stories from all corners of the world, and ‘Our Dream of Water’ does just that,” said Courteney Monroe, National Geographic Global Networks CEO. “National Geographic has been committed to protecting the planet and the people on it for 129 years and I hope that through this film, we can motivate and mobilize this generation to help put an end to the global water crisis.”
“Having partnered with Crystal throughout the making of ‘Our Dream of Water,’ I have seen how impactful female filmmakers can be when sharing the stories of other women around the world,” said Harry Lewis, vice president, Stella Artois. “Our commitment doesn’t end here. Through Stella Artois’ partnership with Women in Film, we’re going to continue this legacy of supporting female filmmakers, like Crystal, who are using the power of film to provoke change.”
Throughout the remainder of 2017 and beyond, Stella Artois will continue to support other female filmmakers like Moselle through its multi-year partnership with Women in Film, Los Angeles. The two organizations are committed to empowering the next generation of female filmmakers to create female-driven films that are made by women and inspire social change.
Stella Artois and Water.org first launched “Buy A Lady A Drink” in 2015, leveraging Stella Artois’ global footprint to raise awareness of the water crisis and spark consumer action to address this critical issue. This year, the brand announced a four-year commitment with Water.org to help provide 3.5 million people with long-term, sustainable access to clean water by 2020.
As a part of this year’s campaign, Stella Artois also released a new set of Limited-Edition Chalices. For every Limited-Edition Chalice that is sold, Stella Artois will help Water.org provide five years of clean water for one person in the developing world. This year’s Limited-Edition Chalices feature designs by local artists in Uganda, Brazil and Cambodia – three countries where Water.org provides support.
Visit www.BuyALadyADrink.com to purchase a Limited-Edition Chalice and learn more about how you can help be the generation to end the global water crisis. Join the conversation online with @StellaArtois #1Chalice5Years.