This movie does not do what it intends to do.
Every documentary has a perspective that they want to get across and a point they want to make. This one wanted to demonize Nestlé and their business processes as they relate to water bottling and distribution. They wanted to show the company as an ethical and moral pariah, and I get why they want to do that. the problem is their execution.
They don't come out and say very much, even though this appears to be one man's journey. Instead, they assume the audience already knows that large corporations are evil, and the implication is that Nestlé is doing terrible things, but conclusive evidence is never forthcoming.
The best argument the film makers have against the company in this is that Nestlé said that they were committed to helping a town in Africa get water, and they have possibly not helped. It's unclear if they really have pulled out or not, as the documentarian didn't seem to do the necessary ground work to validate any of the accusations.
From there, we look at a few different places.
Nestlé Headquarters - where Nestlé tells them that they would be happy to bankroll a film on water conservation or something, but they really don't want to get involved in a documentary that might be biased against them with the preconceived ideas of the filmmakers. This seems a logical response, and Nestlé tells them that they will not be permitted into any of the bottling facilities, as Nestlé's PR does not see the upside in doing so.
Maine - where they bottle Poland Spring water. Here, the filmmakers try to find fringe groups that are anti-Nestlé. They find a few, as there will always be some, but they don't give any compelling evidence to say that Nestlé is harming anything. The most they do is complain that Nestlé isn't paying enough for the water that they are turning around and selling. Not really a compelling point when they also admit that Nestlé has a "Good Neighbor" policy and pays its taxes, rebuilds roads, and contributes to schools and local charities.
Pakistan - This is where Nestlé started their Pure Life water testing. The idea behind the water is brilliant - get ground water, filter the heck out of it, and then add an exact amount of minerals to it. This water can be made almost anywhere with water that tastes exactly the same every time. A local official says that the problem they had before Nestlé got there was that the infrastructure for delivering water was bad and was getting worse. Furthermore, the water table was low and gradually getting lower. Since Nestlé moved in, it has continued this trend, but no one actually says it got worse. They DO say that the poor area next to the plant has few working wells now. Implication? Yes. Slander? No, because they present no verifiable facts. They leave it to innuendo.
I'm pretty sure this won an award, but I have no idea who would have given it one.
Camera work was good for a documentary
Direction was pretty terrible
Storytelling was abysmal
It was kind of a waste of time for them to even make it
0.5/5