Background

‘Waterschool’ follows the experiences of several young female students who live along six of the world’s major rivers – the Amazon, Mississippi, Danube, Nile, Ganges and Yangtze – and celebrates the efforts of Swarovski Waterschool.

The documentary was born from the hearts and minds of seven UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television graduate students with the mentorship of Dean Teri Schwartz. The making-of led this passionate filmmaking crew across five continents to capture the moving stories of these young girls, giving voice to the generation for whom the preservation of clean water is most pressing. Vivid, lyrical, and often poignant, the film is a reminder of the power of education – with the support of the business community – to transform lives and tackle the world’s pressing environmental issues.

Film Premieres

  • Sundance Film FestivalJanuary 2018
  • World Economic Forum January 2018
  • Hong Kong Film FestivalMarch 2018
  • Cannes Film Festival May 2018
  • Netflix PremiereJuly 2018

Meet the Children

United by a vision of hope to save the lifeblood of the planet, these six inspiring young womenshow that we all have it within us to be ambassadors for water conservation.

Ester Ainembabazi
Location: Uganda
Age: 13
Water Challenge: Water availability and pollution
Goal:

“When I joined Swarovski Waterschool, I started feeling at peace. I started getting hope.”

Ge “Daisy” Jiahui
Location: China
Age: 10
Water Challenge: Water pollution and scarcity
Goal:

“This sense of responsibility will grow stronger when I get older because I want to protect our water resources. Protecting water not only protects my family, but also protects the whole human race.”

Mykeyla Hall
Location: EUA
Age: 12
Water Challenge: Lack of environmental education
Goal:

“We can make a difference by taking care of the Mississippi River. We have to take care of the 1% of drinkable water that we have, because we might not have it for long.”

Poonam Devi
Location: Índia
Age: 24
Water Challenge: Water availability and scarcity
Goal:

“When my son grows up, I’ll inspire him to bring change around him. So that in turn, he inspires people to create change, especially towards the environment.”

Selina Bergerweiss
Location: Áustria
Age: 12
Water Challenge: Microplastic pollution
Goal:

“It’s very important to protect the environment because the Earth should be enjoyed not only by this generation, but also by future ones. I do think that those who understand the consequences care more about the issue.”

Rose Kelley (da Silva Santos)
Location: Brasil
Age: 15
Water Challenge: Deforestation and floodin
Goal:

“Waterschool will always remain with me and I’ll always remember that we have to keep a positive attitude, and do things with love and care – especially taking care of water, like we take care of family.”

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