AllMovie

Directed by Deborah Kaufman and Alan Snitow, Thirst travels throughout the United States, Bolivia, and India to question whether water is a human right or a commodity to be bought, sold, and traded within the global marketplace. Though water is something many take for granted, it is integral for human survival, and deadly to over one billion individuals who lack proper access to it. Among the interviewees are Oscar Olivera, a Bolivian man who shocks a panel of CEOs with his claim that corporate influences have "stained the water with the blood of our compatriots," as well as California mayor Gary Podesto, who, at the time, was considering the advantages and consequences of relinquishing control of the water system to a consortium of global water corporations. Rounding out the group is Rajendra Singh, who is referred to by fellow Indians as a sort of modern day Gandhi for his dedication to the grassroots movement to conserve the country's water rather than allow the government to sell their water sources to American corporations.