The Weight of Water is an independently made, beautifully filmed & compellingly told feature-length documentary about the impacts of climate change in Nepal, with a special focus on human interest stories, tied together by the common theme of water.
Film Synopsis
Three character-driven human-interest stories show the complex ways in which climate change-fuelled flooding and drought intersect with existing societal, economic and infrastructure inequalities. Climate scientists, experts and activists from Nepal provide the necessary context to understand exactly how climate change is wreaking havoc here and what is needed from the developed world so Nepal can have a secure future as global warming gathers pace. The intertwined narratives, along with expert exposition, highlight the human cost of climate crisis in Nepal with a sharp focus on the compounding nature and localised injustice of this global crisis.
Highlighting the Human Cost of Climate Crisis
The Weight of Water is my debut documentary film and the first of the many projects I have since launched, built around the idea of visualising the human cost of climate crisis amid precise numbers and scientific studies. As climate change intensifies, the challenge of effectively communicating the urgency of the crisis and the relevance of the consequences to everyone on the planet also heightens. There is a vast chasm between the ground reality and the prevalent public perception on the looming threat of climate change, and I made The Weight of Water in hopes of closing that gap through an effective and creative integration of science & storytelling.
I conceptualised the film’s storyline, conducted extensive research and interviews to identify characters and plotlines on the ground, and reached out to credible Nepali experts to help situate the issues covered in the film within the broader context of global climate change. In the field, I interviewed all the characters to uncover their personal stories and facts, and led creative direction of the filming to ensure appropriate visuals are captured to tell the story I had in mind. Post filming, I took charge of putting together the script, closely working with the editor to retain emotional heft without sacrificing scientific accuracy, to provide not only a well-rounded perspective of the complexity of climate change but also an intimate glimpse into the lives of those affected by climate change in one of the most vulnerable nations in the world. I was also responsible for the film’s publicity and distribution, and secured several opportunities for the film to reach the widest possible audience.
Credits & Roles: Director, Producer, Writer | Research, Interviewing and Scripting, Creative Direction, Publicity and Distribution
Objectives of the Documentary
Make an impact
Humans respond to stories, not plain information. The film tells emotional stories that resonate on a deeper level with audiences everywhere.
connect the dots
Using simplified science & clear attribution, the seemingly localised issues are connected with the global roots of the climate change problem.
focus on justice
Climate Financing & Climate Justice, two key components of the global negotiations, are highlighted so countries like Nepal aren’t shortchanged
bring credibility
Credible experts lucidly explain how the issues portrayed in the film are linked to climate change, and what can be done about that.
Main Characters and Storylines
Kamala:
Kamala suffered from Uterine Prolapse for 20 years, which is greatly prevalent in rural Nepal, where up to 600,000 women are affected by this horrific condition. Carrying heavy loads of water increases the risk of uterine prolapse along with other stressors. In this particular story, we portray the link between women’s health, their future opportunities & climate change-induced water stress.
Pipli Youth Club:
In this segment, we follow the role of a public field by the side of a river that played an important part in producing champion players. But the field was severely flooded in the last two years. While the ground gets renovated, the young players are training in a sad little school ground surrounded by rubble, which is affecting their stamina and game. This story highlights the immediate need for mitigation and adaptation to secure the future of the youth and communities.
Sanchana:
Sanchana is a 13-year-old girl who was washed away in the 2019 floods, and the family is left with the grief of the sudden loss of their bright young child while returning from school. Extreme flooding & flash floods kill hundreds every monsoon in Nepal. Sanchana was washed away on a road that should’ve been a bridge. This story portrays how extreme weather and lack of climate resilient planning is putting the life of children at risk.
Featured Climate Experts
I interviewed several experts on the science of how Nepal is being impacted by climate change, why climate justice must be accounted for in global negotiations, and the issues with current climate financing arrangements to enable a deeper understanding of climate change mitigation and adaptation actions.
Arun B Shrestha
Climate Scientist and Cryosphere Expert, (Retd.)Climate Change Specialist at ICIMOD, Kathmandu
KC Shreya
Youth Climate Activist, Environmental Science undergraduate & Network Coordinator at Nepalese Youth for Climate Action
Dipak Gyawali
Hydroelectric power engineer, political economist & Nepal’s Former Minister of Water Resources in 2002/03
Raju Pandit Chettri
Director of Prakriti Resources Centre (PRC) & Climate Financing expert participating in global negotiations on behalf of Nepal
featured themes and climate issues
climate change and changes in water cycle
Climate change, first and foremost, manifests through changes in the water cycle. The film clearly draws the link between how global warming is influencing droughts, causing erratic rainfall and flooding, and explores all the ways it can affect communities in vulnerable regions like Nepal.
climate change reversing development gains
Despite having negligible emissions, Nepal is on the frontlines of climate change. The film explores how climate change is hampering their development goals by redirecting scarce funding towards adaptation from repeated disasters instead of being used for improving livelihoods.
climate impacts on women’s health and children
Research has shown that women and children are more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change due to preexisting disadvantages such as systemic inequalities, limited access to resources and gender-based violence. This inequality is underscored in all the stories of the three communities featured in the film.
climate justice and the case for reparations
As climate change escalates, the question of who caused climate change and who is paying the price becomes more pertinent with every passing year. The film highlights this grave injustice and the need for reparations through powerful testimonies from climate experts and compelling stories of communities under constant stress.
Distribution Updates
World Premiere:
The Weight of Water officially premiered virtually at the Climate Crisis Film Festival, UK in November 2021, and it was also a part of the COP26 TV programming during the UN summit.
International TV Broadcast:
The Weight of Water has been licensed by Germany’s international broadcaster Deutsche Welle. Multiple telecasts of a 52-minute dubbed version aired worldwide on DW TV channels in English, German, Spanish and Arabic several times between 2022 and 2023. In 2024-25, Ushuaïa TV, a French Television Channel, acquired the license for the film and dubbed it into French, and broadcast the full-length feature multiple times.
Current Distributor:
The Weight of Water was signed on by UK’s Espresso Media International, a documentary and factual distribution company with over 23 years of experience as an International TV distributor. Espresso currently manages all rights globally for the film and handles all distribution and licensing deals, find more details here.
In The Press
Two storytellers unmask the human face of climate change | Mongabay
Highlighting the climate crisis with Nepali stories | The Kathmandu Post
The humanity of climate change in ‘The weight of water’ | The Record
What is the human cost of climate crisis? The Weight of Water answers | Indian Express
Women’s invisibility in climate stories erase their narratives. The result is bad policy | The Fuller Project