The vibration of machines echoes across the desert. Ever since Jordanian nomads settled in the spectacular landscape of Wadi Rum, they grew dependent on complex water infrastructure. The source is right below their feet, yet they struggle to meet basic needs. In the meantime, deep water extraction feeds private large-scale farms, animates visionary development and secures growing urban population. Bedouins, farmers and city dwellers: they all expect to have a fair share, but digging for ‘blue gold’ unleashes environmental timebomb.
Pavel Borecký (Prague, 1986) is a social anthropologist and audiovisual ethnographer. In his community practice, Pavel runs the research organisation Anthropictures, curates the film programme EthnoKino, and co-organises the European Applied Anthropology Network. Pavel’s latest films ‘Solaris’ (2015) and ‘In the Devil’s Garden’ (2018) focused on the consumption culture in Estonia and the question of decolonisation in Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. ‘Living Water’ (2020) is his first feature documentary film.