It’s difficult to overstate the importance of water: anywhere life exists, in any form, water plays an essential role in the ecosystem. But in his documentary Reflection: a walk with water, filmmaker Emmett Brennan makes the compelling argument that society has lost touch with this delicate and crucial place water occupies in the environment. Taking a several-hundred-mile trek on foot along the Los Angeles Aqueduct, Brennan joins like-minded activists on a mission meant to raise awareness about California’s water crisis. Beyond the toll the aqueduct has taken on the land, California’s misuse of water has caused water shortages, released toxic dust particles into the air, and left many areas vulnerable to massive wildfires.

Throughout this “pilgrimage with water,” California’s water story sets the groundwork for big picture ideas about reshaping society with water in mind. Brennan consults experts to introduce core principles that, when put into practice, would allow water to return to its synergistic role in the environment. In the midst of a climate emergency, Reflection: a walk with water is an enlightening investigation that urges humanity to rethink life’s most basic resource. —Jose Rodriguez

Emmett Brennan