The Longest Straw draws a connection between the water that supports a city and that water’s source. Samantha Bode, director, moved to Los Angeles and immediately fell in love with the abundant sunshine, the warm air, and the exotic plants of Southern California. But, she noticed within the city of Los Angeles the plants were very much like her native North East Pennsylvania. Green grass and tall trees grew everywhere, but there was no obvious source of water and it rarely ever rained. Where did all the water come from?
boots and sets off at the Los Angeles Aqueducts Cascades in Sylmar, CA. The audience follows her north and east for 65 days as she struggles through the rugged terrain of the Mojave and Great Basin deserts and loses herself in the shadow of the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains. She speaks with historians, community leaders and local residents, as well as employees of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), the operators of the city’s aqueduct. Through Samantha’s inquisitive nature, the audience gains a deeper understanding of the economic, ecological, and societal impacts of water importation and deportation on communities, as well as the future of Los Angeles’ water.
black water education and treatment. The aqueduct can be viewed as a microcosm for ecological and resource struggle around the world. Too often in the world of instant gratification humans mistake temporary abundance for never-ending supply. The Longest Straw heightens awareness that the resources that civilization uses to thrive and survive are often shared by various communities; human, animal, and plant. By working together, humanity can ensure the future of reliable freshwater for all.EVENT DETAILS
Date & Times: Friday, June 8, 2018
7pm: Veggie potluck (zero waste event: bring your own non-throw-away eating ware)
7:45pm: Intros and announcements
8:00pm Screening: “The Longest Straw”
9:30: Q&A, discussion
Location:
3554 West First Street
Los Angeles Eco-Village – north end
Los Angeles 90004
***Please note: We have changed our location to one building north of 117 Bimini in the north end of Los Angeles Eco-Village ***
****Enter thru gate on Bimini Pl. just south of First St.*****
Fee: Fee: $5 to $15 donation* (self selected sliding scale or 2.5 Time dollars to CRSP. Pay your cash donation at the door or make checks out to “CRSP”
NO ONE WILL BE TURNED AWAY FOR LACK OF FUNDS
GETTING HERE:
Please walk, bike or use our multi-billion dollar transit system.
Driving? Parking may be difficult.
Biking? Please park your bike inside the yard at the event space
About Samantha Bode:
Sam is a film and television maker and lives in the Los Angeles Eco-Village where she actively demonstrates low impact living patterns and a high quality of life. Throughout the 10 years of her career, she has had the wonderful opportunity to be creative in a range of programming, from shows about Africa and it’s descendants, to short news pieces produced by at risk youth in the Los Angeles area, to documentaries about creating your own reality through open source projects and urban farming. The Longest Straw is her first film directing endeavor and is winner of the 2017 New Urbanism Film Festival Best Healthy Cities Film. When not making films or attending Eco-Village meetings, Sam can be found exploring the vast landscapes of the American west and south west.
Los Angeles Eco-Village is celebrating its 25th anniversary all year long.
Plan to attend more events featuring the work of our creative and activist members.