On the occasion of COP 30 a Special Screening of the Winners of the Film Prize 'Back To Our Future' will be held on Wednesday 12 November in Belém, Brazil.
'Back To Our Future' is a Water Film Prize dedicated to ancient water cultures, values and hydro-technologies, organized by Let's Talk About Water and the Global Network of Water Museums.
The event will take place at the Museu de Arte de Belém, Praça Dom Pedro II, 2, Cidade Velha, from 4 to 5:30 p.m.
The screening will be followed by a conversation with Igor Amin (Director of Instituto Mundos, Brazil), Eriberto Eulisse (Director of WAMU+NET), Liliana Pena Naval (Brazilian Water Museum), Francesco Visentin and Anna Brusarosco (University of Udine, Italy).
Below are the movies that will be screened:
First Prize
The Land Smiles Back, by Thysa Beekman (Kenya)
Second Prize
The Mistery of Qanats, by Ahmad Saraf Yazd (Iran)
Third Prize
Forgotten Flows of Karez, by Mir Abdul Malik (Pakistan)
Honorable Mentions
Land Of Wells, by Vanessa Lacaille, Mounir Ayoub and Hamed Kriouane (Tunisia)
Guardian of the Well, by Bentley Brown and Tahir Ben Mahamat Zene (Chad)
Eauquation - Water distribution at Douiret-Sbâa, by Amine Ahmidani (Morocco)
Living with Water: The Resilient Wisdom of the Hani Rice Terraces, by Lin Sihan (China)
Honorable LTAW Mentions
E-RIAL, by Jhonattan Sarmiento (Colombia)
The Granny & Fishes, by Maria Mavati and Ehsan Farrokhi Fard (Iran)
The Awards Ceremony took place on 4th November at Cine Brasilia in Brasilia, Brazil, with a special Movie Night on the occasion of the 6th WAMU-NET International Conference.
Go to the Movie Night Programme
The film prize challenged the common misconception that ancient water management systems are merely prehistoric relics. In truth, many of these practices still offer inspiring and innovative solutions for adapting to climate change while sustaining our vital relationship with water.
The winning films highlight, from diverse perspectives, how ingenious techniques developed over centuries nurtured harmony between people and nature, preserved ecosystems and biodiversity, and supported livelihoods, social cohesion, and traditional landscapes. Time-tested Ancient Hydro-Technologies (AHTs) provide creative approaches to safeguarding our planet’s blue heritage.
Today, AHTs deserve far greater attention in regional water policies, especially across arid regions facing growing pressures from climate change, land abandonment, and migration.
As we strive to achieve the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs, it becomes clear that sophisticated technologies alone cannot solve the complex challenges of climate change and resource depletion. At a time when the world drifts toward division and conflict, the values behind AHTs remind us that cooperation and solidarity in the water sector are essential for building peace. The holistic vision they embody is not only relevant, it is vital for our shared future.
This film prize stems from the collaboration with Let’s Talk About Water, initiated through The Voices of Water, WAMU-NET's video installation at the 10th World Water Forum in Bali (2024), and now paving the way for a major exhibition on AHTs at the 11th World Water Forum in 2027.