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Funded by FECYT and co-funded by CaixaForum+, the feature-length documentary travels more than 5,000 kilometres to examine water management and solutions to the challenges posed by climate change.
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IDAEA-CSIC researchers Víctor Matamoros and Estanislao Pujades contribute by showcasing initiatives to improve water quality across the Barcelona metropolitan area.
La última gota (The last drop, in English) (Project FCT-23-18913), a feature-length science documentary, is now complete. It takes viewers on a journey of more than 5,000 kilometres across Spain to explore one of the most pressing challenges of our time: the management, use and conservation of water in the context of today’s climate crisis.
The project, funded through the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT) call supporting scientific culture initiatives and co-funded by CaixaForum+, has been produced by Sarao Films. It is directed and written by Ángeles Martínez and Antonio Gómez, lecturers at the Faculty of Communication of the University of Seville, together with Paco Ortiz, a graduate of the same institution. The production is also sponsored by GSA Servicios Ambientales and benefits from the strategic advice of Greenpeace.
Running for 71 minutes, the documentary breaks away from traditional static formats by adopting the structure of a road movie, presented by journalist and science communicator Julio Muñoz Gijón. Through this dynamic approach, it takes audiences deep into overexploited aquifers, follows rivers affected by agricultural and industrial pollution, and explores cutting-edge technological and urban solutions being implemented in key locations across Spain.
The documentary aims to inspire a shift in public attitudes by encouraging environmental awareness and critical thinking. To ensure the highest scientific standards, it features contributions from 17 leading experts from Spanish universities, the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and international organisations such as the United Nations.
Among them are two researchers from IDAEA-CSIC. Víctor Matamoros, an expert in nature-based solutions for water decontamination, explains the restoration of the Besòs River in Barcelona and the operation of innovative sustainable wastewater treatment systems. Hydrogeologist Estanislao Pujades discusses initiatives to improve water quality, together with groundwater infiltration processes designed to optimise the use of water resources.
Across its five thematic chapters, the documentary examines issues ranging from data governance in Seville and the application of artificial intelligence to water management in Valencia, to river basin conflicts in Zaragoza and Elche, and ecological degradation in parts of Galicia. It concludes on an optimistic note by highlighting successful river restoration projects and the development of sponge cities in Barcelona, Madrid and Seville, advocating a new way forward: learning to work with nature rather than against it.
To maximise its public reach and social impact, the project is accompanied by a range of short-form educational videos and infographics designed for social media. As part of its commitment to accessibility, it also includes adapted subtitles and audio description to ensure the documentary is accessible to audiences with visual and hearing impairments.
