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Meridian Hill Pictures and the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting present a selection of new short documentaries on the topic of water and sanitation in Nigeria, Ghana and Bangladesh. Join two Pulitzer Center grantees—Nigerian journalist Ameto Akpe and award-winning news documentary producer Stephen Sapienza—as they present their short pieces and lead a discussion on their coverage in West Africa. The segments look at issues of inadequate access to safe drinking water in the region and harmful effects resulting in waterborne illness and death. Following the screening, Peter Sawyer of the Pulitzer Center will moderate a discussion with the journalists and Getachew Melsew, program manager at DC Water.
Akpe investigates Nigeria's water emergency in the context of the oil-rich country's opaque financial management structure and policies. She highlights Nigerians who suffer the impact of a faulty water system while their leaders, often a stone's throw away, enjoy benefits that could be available to all. Sapienza produced the film for PBS NewsHour.
Sapienza also presents his NewsHour report from the megacity Dhaka in Bangladesh, where a booming population of 15 million has exceeded the capacity of water and sewage systems. Roughly 4 million squatters living in slums do not have access to basic needs of clean water and toilets. The piece looks at water, sanitation and hygiene problems facing Dhaka today.
The event is part of Meridian Hill Pictures' ongoing PictureHouse film screening series. The Picturehouse is a unique screening series – bringing diverse groups of people together at unique indoor and outdoor spaces across the city, to experience engaging documentary films.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
7:30 PM
Modern Times Coffeehouse
Politics & Prose Bookstore
5015 Connecticut Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20009
This event is free and open to public.