"Something in the Water"

A  feature documentary

Production Stills

    A documentary about a search for common ground in America

    Synopsis

    Inspired by a dark and critically important period in the recent history of the United States, between October 2020 and April 2021, the “Something in the Water” documentary was created in the spirit of keeping democracy alive by capturing the experiences and perspectives of Americans. 


    Set against the backdrop of a contentious 2020 Presidential election, nationwide social uprisings, and a global pandemic, the film is the story of America struggling to understand and rationalize the ideologies that divide its people.  Americans have been living in a state of fear, confusion, and grief, while reckoning with historical truths, racial violence, mass deaths, and the implications of a polarized nation.


    And yet, despite the obstacles that confront it, the collective testimonies of two hundred Americans from across the country, tell a story of America that brings real hope to the promise of democracy and helps to heal the wounds of a fractured nation in the search for common ground.


    The "Something in the Water" documentary is the third collaboration between filmmakers Jeri Wachter and Joseph C. Stillman. Contact us at hope@somethinginthewater.today. 

    The Producers

    Joseph C. Stillman (Producer/Director) is an award-winning filmmaker, dedicated to human rights and social justice issues. Born and raised in Corpus Christi, Texas, his recent works include the internationally acclaimed feature documentary, "Citizen Clark... A Life of Principle," the story of former U.S. Attorney General and Human Rights activist, Ramsey Clark and "From Mills River to Babylon and Back... The Jimmy Massey Story." As an Emmy winning, Oscar nominated and Best Documentary Film Producer and Director, Stillman's projects have been seen around the globe. 


    Jeri Wachter (Producer/Director) is a Georgia born, NYC and Southern raised filmmaker, consultant, and public speaker, creating compelling films and events to illuminate and inspire action toward an equitable and  just world.  Other "works in progress" include Rural Matters: Poverty in the Other America".  Previously, she spent more than two decades in scientific and technical publishing, as a leading advocate to advance DEI in the workplace, and for twenty years, as cofounder/chair of William Andrew Publishing, a publisher of major works in fields such as materials, energy, and ecology.

    "Not everything that is faced can be changed. But nothing can be changed until it is faced." James Baldwin

    Something is definitely in the water in America!

    Americans across our land have many concerns and depending of course on what their individual and family situations and connection to history are, their viewpoints represent tremendous diversity, which is as we found, the great American experience.  As filmmakers, we take this responsibility seriously and are confident that our film offers an opportunity to learn from others what we don’t often get a chance to see.


    The film sparks dialogue, a sense of respectful curiosity, and an atmosphere of caring deeply about our fellow Americans; thus, engaging viewers to begin a process to bridge misunderstandings about each other, and around challenging and critical issues in our country.


    This work is intended for broad audiences, ages 14-103, in high schools, colleges and universities, as well as individuals at all levels in businesses and organizations, legislative policy makers, and where communities across our land can screen and hold forums.


    Keep an eye out for news about upcoming film festivals near you in 2022. Send us an email to be sure you're on our list for announcements. We'd love to hear from you.

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    Directors' Statement

    The “Something in the Water” documentary is inspired by the American spirit during a dark and critically important period in the recent history of the United States. Set between October 2020 and April 2021, Americans everywhere were facing an acute and permanent change to the very structures of their social, domestic, and working lives. Whole communities across the country were struggling through confusion, fear, and grief while reckoning with historical truths and implications of a polarized nation. 


    The film celebrates the extraordinary diversity of the American people and seeks to find common ground, amid political division, racial unrest, and a global pandemic. It is an immersive, and historical portrayal of the American experience through a non-binary and empathetic lens, as the collective testimonies of two-hundred people in thirty states, representing all regions of the U.S., bring real hope to this story about a country ridden with negativity and cynicism brought on by racism and socioeconomic injustices that are deeply embedded in the very social fabric of our daily lives.


    The film is a compelling, illuminating, and moving experience that elicits from the viewer a closer examination of the same questions our subjects discuss. It helps us to face uncomfortable truths from America’s past, as well as the admirable strengths of present-day Americans, with outcomes that have affected a redefined democracy as a result. As filmmakers, we believe in the power of diverse voices to foster dialogue, raise hope, and bring positive change to some of the most challenging issues of our time. 


    Jeri Wachter and Joseph C. Stillman, Co-Directors 

    In December 2020, we spoke with Darrell Gunter about our inspiration for the film. After this interview, we continued our journey over 16,500 miles and spoke with two-hundred Americans in thirty states about the state of our nation. Keep an eye out for announcements about screenings at film festivals near you in 2022. 

    Special thanks to:

    The Major’s Inn, Gilbertsville, NY, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Voice of the Experienced (VOTE), New Orleans, LA, Muscogee (Creek) Nation, Okmulgee, Oklahoma, Bark Productions, Kansas City, MO, East Rock Creek Village, Washington, DC, Hire Art, New York, NY, Braver Angels, USA, Chagrin Documentary Film Fest, Chagrin Falls, OH, The Unitarian Universalist Church, Rockford, IL, Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Minneapolis, MN, Northland Country Club, Duluth, MN, UU Church of Fargo Moorhead, Fargo, ND, Turtle Mountain Band of the Chippewa, Belcourt, ND, The Roman Theatre, Red Lodge, MT, St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral, Salt Lake City, UT, John Scott Real Estate, Des Moines, WA, Answer Coalition, San Francisco, CA, East Bay Media Center, Berkley, CA, Kingston 11 Cuisine, Oakland, CA, First Unitarian Church of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, J Feldman Studio, Albuquerque, NM, El Paso Community Foundation, El Paso, TX, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, The Park Foundation, Ithaca, NY, Center for Independent Documentary, Boston, MA


    Special, special thanks to:

    Gaila Reyna-Arguell, Jamie Azure, Bob Babcock, Robert Blanton, Reginald Bullock Jr., Elizabeth & Brian Burns, April Chatham-Carpenter, Tamara Childs, Lisa & Ruel Cowles, Wanda Davis, Paul Driftmier, Leigh Eckmair, Maria Farrington, Phil Farrington, JoAnn & Lee Fisher, John Feldman, Christopher Forbes, Ben & Diana Friedell, Bev Gibbons, John Gill, Terry Gomez, Patricia Griffith, Roberta Griffith, Mimi Grolund, Darrell Gunter, Cathy Hamilton, Christine Heller, Tony Hettler, Bev Hoffman, Nigel Jones, Kelly Kimball, Gloria LaRiva, Ron Lee, Kim Martinson, Peter Matthes, Deborah Merola, Robert Moreno, Diane Moseley, Shelley Moskowitz, Jim Mullowney, Barry Murphy, Kelly Noack, Eliza Oprea, Danny Ordner, Adelaide Gomer-Park, Chris Peters, Richard Pineda, Adan Plascencia, Mary Ann Ponce, Andy Puritz, Dave Rabin, Ilene Resnick, Robert Rosellini, CeCe Rowe, Jordy Sargent, Betsy Scanlin, Jack Schluep. Mark Schotte, Barbara Siesel, Ellie Stromberg, Keith Torgan, Joan Turbidy, Mel Vapour, Arthur & Lois Wachter, Beth Weinstein, Brenda Williams, Teresa Winchester, Joe & Shelley Whitworth, Aidan Woishnis


    This project would not have come this far without you!


    "Something in the Water"

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    P.O. Box 289 Gilbertsville, NY 13776

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