MAJI movie featuring ultra-runner Leo Gripari premieres in London

The documentary which premiered in Curzon Soho last month delves into the global water crisis

On April 11 Curzon Soho hosted the premiere of ‘MAJI’, an adventurous documentary which looks at the impact of the world’s water crisis as it follows the fundraising challenges of ultra-runner Leo Gripari.

Gripari takes on extreme physical challenges in five locations across the globe – Nepal, Jordan, USA, Iceland and Uganda.

The entrepreneur, who is committed to raising awareness of the world’s greatest biodiversity challenges, unveils the effect that the water crisis is having on communities, leaders and wildlife.

Around the world, water scarcity is a harsh reality for many people across the globe. The UN predicts that between two and three billion people experience water shortages and that 26% of the world’s population does not have access to safe drinking water.

As Gripari’s journey unfolds, the viewer meets experts, local communities and groups fighting to protect and conserve water.

 

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The film shows the ecological impact of melting glaciers in Iceland to the social, cultural and political ramifications of water scarcity and degradation in Nepal and Japan.

Towards the end of the story a community ultramarathon takes place around Lake Mutanda in Uganda that sees Gripari spurred to complete his final challenge by the local community.

It concludes with the need for community and collective action to solve the ongoing water crisis, humanising the lives it affects the most.

MAJI, which translates to water in Swahili, is directed by Charli Doherty and presented by TGB Films and Biscuit Bunker, in association with West One Entertainment.

Charli Doherty says: “MAJI ultimately serves as a platform to unite the voices of people from all walks of life.

“It brings together the knowledge, experiences, and emotions of people we’ve encountered along our journey, highlighting the importance of collective action and global solidarity.

“We hope to inspire audiences to recognise that the water crisis is not someone else’s problem; it’s our collective responsibility.”

Gripari adds: “Embarking on this adventure was life-changing: what started as a way for me to raise money for conservation projects became so much more.

“I am so glad that we can communicate the scale of the world’s water crisis through this documentary. I hope that it will provide people with a greater sense of the urgency of the crisis and help drive collective action on the issue.”