Testing The Waters
One of the most prolific documentaries on the film festival circuit as of late got its start thanks to a love of French. When Finite Water creator Dianne Wennick jetted off to Paris to study the language of love, she took a less conventional educational route and opted for immersion instead of traditional class attendance. She volunteered for the 2018 Paris Talks: A Conference on the Future of Humanity and attended the Global Water Summit as an academic participant.
To say the latter impacted her would be an understatement.
“It inspired me to make a documentary; however, I had never made a film before,” Wennick says, with a chuckle.
A self-described lifelong learner, she took to the internet to discover the ins and outs of crafting a feature film. The initial goal was to create a large project, but with limited funds, Wennick decided to make a trailer to attract investors and enlisted the help of director/executive producer Zach Thomson of Modern Creative Media, as well as Kiana Media Productions LLC.
“I had asked Zach to help with a trailer to help raise funds for a feature film but when he mentioned that we would be editing hours of film, I realized that maybe a documentary short would be possible and could be submitted to film festivals in order to reach a worldwide audience,” explains Wennick, who serves as co-director, creative director and executive producer.
Since Finite Water’s completion in March 2019, it started its rounds at film festivals around the world and has won nearly 50 awards to date, including accolades for best original music, best cinematography, best trailer, best director and best producer.
Finite Water’s 40-minute message of water conservation is told through the eyes of an everyday person, making it possible for everyday people to envision a better future. Wennick’s heart to ensure a clean water future for all shines throughout the film, and thanks to narrator Richard Chamberlain and music composer Martin Rabbett, who created Finite Water’s theme song, the seeds have been planted worldwide.
“They helped to make this film a reality with a message that has been shared worldwide and we couldn’t have done it without them,” Wennick adds. “Our voices have been heard.”
Her work on Finite Water in no way meant Wennick forwent her desire to learn French. In fact, she spent much of the pandemic continuing as a lifelong learner. She returned to school at University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa and will be graduating in December with her bachelor’s in French, and took two French immersion classes in Angers this summer.
“Learning the language of French has created a lot of humbleness,” says Wennick. “It is a very humbling experience when you start fresh everyday learning anew. That is what continual learning does to you; it provides the opportunity to transform one’s perspective.”
Wennick’s life is a display of constant improvement and growth. Her first steps into the professional world came after earning her bachelor’s degree in business and minor in information systems. She got her start in the corporate world at IBM and went on to start her own business as a computer consultant. Her course then veered toward real estate in the sales, development and acquisition realms.
“The creative side became more obvious around 10-15 years ago,” recalls Wennick. “Wherever I traveled — Europe, South America, Asia, Canada, Australia, Samoa — I would take a course and learn something from a trip and express it somehow. Every place I go, I take in a little something from the art world and its culture.”
Globetrotting and that innate inclination toward artistic expression has allowed her opportunities to learn a plethora of new things, and added to her repertoire a multitude of titles, including printmaker, plein-air and encaustic artist, sculptor, ballerina, yogi, pianist, photographer and now filmmaker.
“It (was) a great experience,” Wennick says of her creative journey with Finite Water. “I had never made a film, but it was really so wonderful so I’m working on a new one.”
Futures Literacy will provide a newer approach to education that involves the power of anticipatory thinking.
“It allows people to think differently in an environment that actually inspires a new method of education,” she explains. “With COVID, I was like, ‘Wow this is the subject of the film.’ Everyone had to at the last minute make changes that were nontraditional and spontaneous. We saw how people adapted and were still continually changing daily, weekly. Things evolved in a way where we had struggles, and we overcame those struggles.”
There’s not yet a premiere date for Futures Literacy. Wennick says she’ll be taking her time with this one, and in the meantime will continue innovating.
“It is important to make room for creativity in one’s life as it will enhance one’s life in so many ways and provide a means of feeding one’s soul,” she concludes. “There, you will find a bridge between yourself and beyond.”
diannewennickfineart.com finitewaterfilm.com