418 Montezuma Ave, Santa Fe, NM. 87501
Sunday, April 28th, 10:00 AM
Acequias: The Legacy Lives On
Acequias -The Legacy Lives On is an hour long visually stunning documentary film about New Mexico’s enduring acequias (the network of historic irrigation ditches) as seen through the eyes of farmers, advocates, scholars, practitioners, and members of the community. The film unfolds through a series of storylines including the acequias’ current challenges, such as climate change and water rights transfers, their important role in the development of local food sheds, and the economic opportunity they provide for members of rural communities.
Arcie Chapa is an accomplished broadcast journalist and documentary filmmaker. She was the host and executive producer of the KNME weekly public affairs show “In Focus”, as well as the host of the KUNM Let’s Talk New Mexico Live Call-In show. Arcie has over 30 years’ experience in broadcast journalism and filmmaking, holding positions as anchor, reporter, news director, and senior and executive producer. She has won several awards for her documentary films, including 5 Emmy awards for history and culture documentaries and the prestigious National Press Club award for Investigative Environmental reporting.
Director:
Aracely "Arcie" Merced Chapa
Writer:
Aracely "Arcie" Merced Chapa
Producer:
Aracely "Arcie" Merced Chapa
Talent:
Vladimir Chaloupka, Cinematography
Year Released:
2023
Country:
U.S.A.
Length:
00:56:46
Reviews:
This is wonderful! it is so much more than a documentary. Water is life in New Mexico, and it is community. For centuries, and for millennia before that, the community has maintained the flow of water in this dry environment. This is well produced, gathering together majordomos (water stewards), poets, writers, historians, farmers, agriculturalists, and the people who live on the land to tell the story of the vital importance of protecting the acequias, and the water, from commercial interests and keeping control of the water in community hands. I marked this as award-worthy, rather than only recommending it because of the film’s importance, and because of how well done this movie is. And, I like the fact that the author of the Milagro Beanfield War, John Nichols, was included, so he could add his last words to this important issue. Definitely award worthy.
