Let’s Talk About Water and the Global Network of Water Museums proudly announce the winners of the Back to Our Future Short Film Competition on Arid Lands and Ancient Water Technologies (AHTs).
The winning films showcase diverse perspectives on how ingenious techniques, developed over centuries, have fostered harmony between people and nature, preserved ecosystems and biodiversity, and supported livelihoods, social cohesion, and traditional landscapes.
Time-tested AHTs offer creative approaches to safeguarding our planet’s water heritage.
The film award is the result of a collaboration between Let’s Talk About Water and the Global Network of Water Museums, a flagship initiative of UNESCO’s IHP. The two organizations first partnered on a pilot video installation at the 10th World Water Forum in Bali in 2024, and this collaboration will culminate in a major exhibition on AHTs at the 11th World Water Forum in 2027.
The winning films will soon be available on Let’s Talk About Water’s channels.
WINNERS OF THE BACK TO OUR FUTURE FILM COMPETITION
FIRST PLACE
The Land Smiles Back, by Thysa Beekman – Justdiggit, The Safari Collection and the Samburu Community of Westgate Community Conservancy. (Kenya)
SECOND PLACE
The Mistery of Qanats, by Ahmad Saraf Yazd (Iran)
THIRD PLACE
Forgotten Flows of Karez, by Mir Abdul Malik (Pakistan)
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Living with Water: The Resilient Wisdom of the Hani Rice Terraces, by Lin Sihan (China)
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)
LET’S TALK ABOUT WATER HONORABLE MENTION
E-RIAL, by Jhonattan Sarmiento (Colombia)
The Granny & Fishes, by Maria Mavati and Ehsan Farrokhi Fard (Iran)
