The Longest Straw

The Longest Straw draws a connection between the water that supports a city and that water's source. Samantha Bode (director) moved to Los Angeles and immediately fell in love with the abundant sunshine, the warm air, and the exotic plants of Southern California. But, she noticed within the city of Los Angeles the plants were very much like her native North East Pennsylvania. Green grass and tall trees grew everywhere, but there was no obvious source of water and it rarely ever rained. Where did all the water come from?
To learn more about the original source of Los Angeles’ water, Samantha embarks on a journey up the Los Angeles Aqueducts and the Mono Extension, the original source of Los Angeles’ imported water. During one of the worst droughts in California history, Samantha laces up her boots and sets off at the Los Angeles Aqueducts Cascades in Sylmar, CA. The audience follows her north and east for 65 days as she struggles through the rugged terrain of the Mojave and Great Basin deserts and loses herself in the shadow of the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains. She speaks with historians, community leaders and local residents, as well as employees of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), the operators of the city's aqueduct. Through Samantha’s inquisitive nature, the audience gains a deeper understanding of the economic, ecological, and societal impacts of water importation and deportation on communities, as well as the future of Los Angeles’ water.
The Los Angeles aqueducts can be viewed as a microcosm for ecological and resource struggle around the world. Too often in the world of instant gratification humans mistake temporary abundance for never-ending supply. The Longest Straw heightens awareness that the resources that civilization uses to thrive and survive are often shared by various communities; human, animal