The film was awarded "Honorable Mention" for Documentary Feature at the 2013 Los Angeles Movie Awards. The film also became the "Official Selection" at this year's Latino Reel Rasquache Art & Film Festival in L.A., and at last year's Film Fest Twain Harte and the Bakersfield Independent Film Festival; with "Special Presentations" in last year's Viña de Oro International Film Festival and the ITSA Film Festival™, and other celebrated screenings around the state of California! "The Fight for Water is a 'must see' film, not only for those interested in agriculture or environmental issues, but for anyone who loves California and is interested in its future." The Living Series Magazines, 2013
Transcript
The film was awarded "Honorable Mention" for Documentary Feature at the 2013 Los Angeles Movie Awards. The film also became
the "Official Selection" at this year's Latino Reel Rasquache Art & Film Festival in L.A., and at last year's Film Fest Twain Harte and the
Bakersfield Independent Film Festival; with "Special Presentations" in last year's Viña de Oro International Film Festival and the ITSA
Film Festival™, and other celebrated screenings around the state of California!
"The Fight for Water is a 'must see' film, not only for
those interested in agriculture or environmental issues, but
for anyone who loves California and is interested in
its future." The Living Series Magazines, 2013
ABOUT THE FILM The Fight for Water: A Farm Worker Struggle
Log Line
When an federal ruling causes a man-made drought, a
farming community comes together for survival.
Short Synopsis
Set during the Water Crisis of 2009 and 2010, The Fight
for Water: A Farm Worker Struggle documents the
human impact an environmental decision had upon a
farming community in the heart of the California
Central Valley when their water supply was shut off. An
environmental decision, intended to protect an
endangered fish species, had unintended consequences
upon the community who needed it to farm, have jobs
and provide for their families. In consequence, they
rose up--in protest--to fight for their water. One
filmmaker, who happened to live in the impacted part
of the valley, set out to film this event and document
their struggle; exposing, along the way, class and social
politics behind water access and distribution in California.
The Story
The Fight for Water tells the story of two California Central Valley farmers, George Delgado and Joe Del Bosque, who came from parents who had
been migrant farmworkers and whose life's dream had been of being a farmer. In 1985, both became land owners and started their own farming
business. For over 25 years they worked the land and hired workers. In 2008, however, an environmental ruling, imposed by the federal
government, shut their water supply and they (along with many region farmers) had to lay-off thousands of their farm workers, which ultimately
affected them and their worker's livelihood. No water meant no work. And no work meant no food... for everyone.
On April 14, 2009, a coalition of farmers, farm workers and
community people--lead by Hollywood actor turned water
activist, Paul Rodriguez--stage a water march across the heart of
the California Central Valley, to demand that their water
restrictions be overturned and their water supply be turned back
on... because to them, and their farming community, water is
not only their means of survival, it is the chance of a better
future.
Joe Del Bosque
DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT
I made The Fight for Water because the
subject of the farm worker and the
dilemma they were facing during the
California Water Crisis of 2009 was close
and personal to me.
I came from parents who were migrant
farm workers. They settled in the
California Central Valley, from Mexico,
with the opportunity of having a better
life. They taught me the hard work of
working in the fields. But that was not
something I wanted to do for the rest of
my life. I wanted to go to school, get an
education and be 'somebody'. I became
a filmmaker.
Today, I come full circle. The Fight for Water: A Farm Worker Struggle brings me back to where I come from, and that is to honor
the field worker and what they do for us--that they do provide for this country and are overlooked by most of us.
In 2009, the sight of seeing dried up fields and hundreds of farm workers in food lines because there was no work, in town after
town, was depressing if not painful. The California Central Valley is thought of as the "Fruit Basket of the World" and yet, here in
America, we had a third-world situation, where food was being imported from other states and other countries to feed the very
people who used to work those fields. It was degrading.
I remember, growing up, my parents instilling in me the principles of working for what you earn. Nothing is free. And certainly, as I
interviewed farm workers, they didn't want free handouts or food. They wanted to work and provide for their own families. It is
shameful to think that they, or we, come here to depend on others or the government.
Unfortunately, the farm working community was put in this predicament because of a federal ruling. Environmental groups sued
the fish and wildlife agency to shut the water pumps in order to protect an endangered fish species. When that happened, it cut off
the very water farmers need to farm and the jobs that farm workers depended upon for their livelihood.
This created the harshest economic down turn, not only for the region but also for the entire state of California. Two-hundred
thousand people were affected and the unemployment reached as high as 50 percent. These unintended consequences only
became apparent then. No work meant no food, and no food meant higher prices for everyone.
It is after these turn of events that an entire community, from all walks of life, joined together to oppose this injustice and fight for
their livelihood.
In all, I hope the film serves as a lesson to be learned and as a lesson not to be repeated again.
Juan Carlos Oseguera
Writer/Producer/Editor/Director
Coalition Leader Paul Rodriquez at a rally, attended by
then-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger at the San Luis
Reservoir, on April of 2009.
THE PRODUCTION TEAM
Juan Carlos Oseguera is a working professional who has won awards and
recognitions in writing, producing and directing. As a student filmmaker, he
won two "Student Producer" Awards and a "Student Screenplay" Award for
a student film that was also nominated "Best Student Film". He went on to
get a film degree from San Francisco State University and became published
film critic. While a student at San Francisco State, he was awarded a
scholarship to attend a screenwriting conference sponsored by the Academy
of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and Script Magazine. He also attended
an arts program, at California State University's Summer Arts, where he
worked alongside industry professionals in award-winning television and
filmmaking projects. One of those projects became a finalist at the 2002
CSU Media Arts Festival. In 2004, he established Filmunition Studios, a post
production editing studio, from where he edited various short films and
video projects. In 2009, he started work on his first feature length
documentary, The Fight for Water: A Farm Worker Struggle, which he
wrote, produced, edited and directed. He hopes the film brings light to a
community which has an ongoing struggle to get access to water.
BENJAMIN CORRIA Music Composer
Benjamin Coria is a trained pianist, orchestrator and composer. He holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees in music composition. He uses his talents to evoke the complex emotions so vital to multimedia, such as film, television and video games. Ben is a member of the ASCAP and has studied under Alex Wurman (March of the Penguins, Anchor Man), Alf Clausen (The Simpsons), Sean Callery (24), Adam Fields (Dawson's Creek) and Christopher Guardino (orchestrator for Bruno, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou). He has scored music for documentaries, short live-action dramas, animated shorts, commercials and independent features. Visit Ben Coria at: www.bencoria.com
DUSTIN MORRIS Music Composer Dustin Morris is a music composer, singer and songwriter who has scored for short films. He has produced a few independent music albums and is member of the rock band Solar Powered People. As composer, his signature music compositions evoke atmosphere and emotion.
ERIC VEGA Songwriter/Composer Eric Vega is the songwriter and singer who composed an original theme song for The Fight for Water Film ("Se Me Va"). He is also the producer of his own music albums and is currently working as an actor on various film and video projects in L.A.
EDUARDO OSEGUERA Assistant Producer & Additional Music
Eduardo Oseguera is a music artist whose short music sample, “The Remedy of Life and Death”, was featured in The Fight for Water film. Apart from his music contribution, he is the film's "Associate Producer". He also served as post-production assistant and subtitles producer. He has also worked alongside Juan Carlos Oseguera on other music compositions. His current album, "When the World Gives Up", a combination of electronic and experimental music, was released in 2012.
RAY FERREIRA Segment Voice Over Narrator
Ray Ferreira is a theater actor in the California Central Valley who has had bit parts in productions such as "Spiderman (2002)", "Iron Man 2" and "Mad Men". He provided the voice over narration for segments in The Fight for Water film.
PABLO OSEGUERA Assistant to the Producer
CARLOS ANAYA III Sound & Associate Producer Additional "Thank You" personnel at: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2147545/
Joe Del Bosque is a farmer in Firebaugh, California, who was the
product of migrant farm workers. He worked the fields at an early age and
earned his way to college as a farm worker. He graduated from California
State University, Fresno in 1975, and began farming in 1985. His farm, Del
Bosque Farms, has been successful in producing cantaloupes, almonds,
asparagus, and cherries. However, environmental regulations and water
restriction have created a burden in his ability to continue farming and in
2009, he joined a coalition of farmers and their farm workers to fight for
their water. In 2010, he was appointed to the California Water Commission
by former governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. He is also Chairman of AgSafe,
a non-profit organization whose mission is to prevent injuries, illness and
fatalities among those working in agriculture.
George Delgado is also a farmer in the West Side of Fresno County.
Like Joe, he too comes from a migrant background. George’s grandparents
were born and raised in Mexico. They migrated to California in the early
1900’s and settled in Firebaugh, California. George’s father worked as a
foreman for a rancher and his mother worked as a school secretary. Like Joe,
he grew up in the fields and helped is family by working in the fields. Upon
graduating from high school, he went to California State University, Fresno
where he earned a degree in Agricultural Science. After graduating from
college, George worked as a licensed Pest Control Advisor and later started
his own Ag Spraying Business. In 1985, he started his own farming business
with land he leased in the Merced and Fresno County areas. After 25 years
of farming, George got to own his own land and now farms almond,
tomatoes, wheat and other crops. But like Joe and West Side farmers, he also must face the burden of water restrictions and environmental
regulations that, since 1992, have changed their way of life. In 2009 he joined Joe and other West Side farmers on a movement to get their water
back.
Paul Rodriguez is a prominent Hollywood actor and comedian who
understood the farm worker struggle. His parents were migrant farm
workers who came from Mexico and found field work in the California
Central Valley. Like Joe and George, they worked hard enough to become
land owners themselves. It is because of his parents that he was able to
understand the struggle the farmers where facing, which in turn was
affecting the migrant farm working community who had no other resource
but their work to survive. In the hopes that the national media would pay
attention to their cause, he organized a walk in the likes of his icon Cesar
Chavez. The walk would start in the affected area of Mendota, California and
end at the San Luis Reservoir. It would span fifty-miles and take four days to
accomplish. Today, he continues on that fight for water as chairman of the
California Latino Water Coalition.
Arnold Schwarzenegger Former California Governor Jim Costa California Central Valley Congressman Devin Nunes (Video Clip) California Central Valley Congressman Ray Appleton (Video Clip) Fresno Radio Personality
Lupita Lomeli Fresno Spanish-Television Personality Alan Autry Former Mayor of Fresno Eli Ayala Labor Contractor Phil Larson Fresno County District Supervisor
Roger Palomino Executive Director, Fresno County Economic Opportunity Commission (in 2009) Dana Wilkie CEO, Fresno Community Food Bank (in 2009) Geof Lickey Food Distributing Volunteer (in 2009)
THE FILM'S RECEPTION
Along with the awards and recognitions, the film and
the filmmaker have been the subject of various
magazine publications, newspaper articles and
Television interviews.
The Living Series Magazines published an artricle on
the film and Vision Magazine put the filmmaker in
their front cover. They are both located in the
Northern California Central Valley.
SELECTED COMMENTS
"This is the MOST important documentary film for California Agriculture for the Year! DEMAND a screening in your town!"
Kevin Fox, Keep California Farming May 4th, 2012
"This is a must-see movie... This documentary dramatically tells the stories of those who often don’t have a voice in water policy
discussions." Mark Looker, Looker Communications
December 7, 2012
"You would never think this could happen in America today!"
Patrick Cavanugh, AgNet West Radio Director September 21, 2012
"A real dynamic film; offering a brilliant lens on the essence of the migrant worker, his allies, and the conditions for which a society can
lead into perilous disaster." Carlos Falcon, M.E.Ch.A of Modesto Junior College
Nov. 29, 2012
"This film is a reminder about how connected we all are. A must see."
Mara Kemp-Williams, Yuba Senior Deputy County Counsel February 23, 2013
"... completely eye opening... It's incredible to me that we live in this area and that so many of us are unaware of all the injustice that goes
on." Maria Lopez-Corona, Audience Member @ Film Screening
September 21, 2012
"Very powerful." Ashley Indrieri
Executive Director Family Water Alliance
February 6, 2013
"Compelling... A 'must see' film!" Kathleen Gutierrez
The Living Series Magazines January 2013
"..incredible... ...powerful..." Roger Mathey, Festival Director
Bakersfield Independent Film Festival October 29, 2012
"Great film!" Davis Film Festival
June 23, 2013
FILM SUPPORTERS George Delgado Joe Del Bosque
Patrick Cavanaugh Gustavo Gonzales
Ramon & Martha Gonzalez
Israel Hurtado Carrie Swidecki Mayra Becerril John Hemping
William Powers III
Alex Gonzales Poncie Rodrigues Carol Rodrigues
Sylvia Christine Schweininger Robert Tharp
FILM & SCREENING SPONSORS Del Bosque Farms Delgado Farming
California Farm Water Coalition Family Water Alliance
Poncie Real Estate (Poncie.com) Foto Juvenil
Villalobos Legal Group Water Reclamation Equipment
M.E.Ch.A of Modesto Junior College Chicano & Latin American Studies of CSUF
Stustainability of SF State
Stanislaus County Farm Bureau Mape's Ranch
J.A. Carrancho Farms California Poultry Federation
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