The water crisis currently plaguing the residents of Flint, Michigan, is one of the most tragic in recent memory. It’s all the more tragic because it’s completely preventable. The press-challenged documentary Here’s to Flint explores the events leading up to the catastrophe and offers a haunting and riveting portrait of civilians who stood up to power fearlessly.
It all started with an austerity measure by the city’s civil protection services. By diverting the city’s water supply from the bountiful Lake Huron and Detroit Rivers to the polluted Flint River, officials unleashed a series of ominous health threats that were largely unknown to the public. When local residents complained about the quality of the dirty water, their protests fell on deaf ears. That changes when mysterious illnesses such as rashes, hair loss, neurological disorders and cancer strike Flint residents, many of them children. Flint’s water contains alarmingly high levels of lead, a chemical that can have disastrous health effects in even trace amounts.
The film aptly exposes the culprits behind the crisis—officials risking the lives of impoverished (mostly African-American) parishioners to save $5 million—and engages us in a public Hearings, these angry citizens are demanding meaningful corrective action. Their future and the lives of their children depend on it.
With insight and humanity, the ACLU of Michigan produced “To Flint,” a deeply saddening statement about a nation blinded by greed and blind to the plight of its people government. The Flint water crisis has become a political flashpoint this campaign season, and the final outcome may not be known for a while. Finally, contaminated water supplies are common in many parts of the United States. For these communities, Flint’s story should serve as a cautionary tale and an inspirational blueprint for how we can take back our power from ruthless and indifferent leaders.
