Dear opponents of privatization
and those interested in conserving our vital resource water!
The movie Water Makes Money has made history. One and a half years after the highly successful premiere in 150 European cities, the publicity manager of Veolia Germany, Matthias Kolbeck, makes the following statement:
Unfortunately, Veolia's lawsuit against the film is not directed against the German filmmakers as well. After the German public authorities refused a French letters rogatory, the French parent company prompted the German Veolia subsidiary, to file a lawsuit against Leslie Franke and Herdolor Lorenz according to German law. Veolia Germany however refused this request after due consideration, with the following reason: Water Makes Money and the French lawsuit did cause already excessive damage to the multinational, and a German lawsuit would do nothing but increase the damage.
Isn't this a wonderful compliment? The powerful multinational did not abstain voluntarily from filing a lawsuit in Germany. It seems that fear from the big public has disabused Veolia! To this date, almost 1,5 million people have seen the film. This public power is also a big compliment to the many hundred dedicated people, active groups and citizens' initiatives, which fight against the private interest of the water multinationals, and made Water Makes Money their tool. This is clearly a small victory of the civil society.
