A French court has rejected a defamation lawsuit brought by Suez Water against FLOW. FLOW: For Love of Water is Irena Salina’s 2008 documentary film on the world water crisis and the destructive role played by transnational corporations, which prominently features Council of Canadians chairperson Maude Barlow.
In a December 2008 Straight.com interview, Salina said, “Maude was the godmother of the film, the inspiration and the support. There was a time when I had no money and she would call me up and offer her help.” The Ottawa Citizen reported that Barlow is the “main protagonist” in the film. Steven Starr, the film’s producer, said late Wednesday, “This is a huge victory for Freedom of Information everywhere. Irena and I started this film by asking a simple question – Who Owns Water – and the French courts have now reaffirmed our rights as filmmakers to answer that question. We will work with Arte, our esteemed distributor, to re-release the film in Paris shortly.”
In a statement issued today, Food and Water Watch executive director Wenonah Hauter said she, “applauds the court for its commitment to upholding the rights of the media to scrutinize the activities of multinational corporations, especially when those activities compromise the ability of millions of people around the world to access a vital natural resource.” For more on the film, please go here.
