“What Lies Upstream” Director Cullen Hoback On His Upcoming Film, Our Nation’s Drinking Water, and more

With a new calendar year upon us, a lot of people around you are undoubtedly following their New Year’s resolution of “getting healthy.” To these folks, this likely means following a new restrictive diet and exercising more frequently. However, that resolution may not give consideration to being more mindful of what goes into one’s body.

Directed by award-winning filmmaker Cullen Hoback and produced by John Ramos, What Lies Upstream is a real thriller of a documentary, focusing on an investigation into a chemical spill in West Virginia. This story goes on to take a look at drinking water and how the United States government’s environmental agencies may not be telling us the truth about what is coming out of our taps. To learn more about What Lies Upstream, I had the pleasure of doing Q&A with Mr. Hoback for The Hype Magazine, who in spite of such a serious subject and film kept things relatively-light.

What Lies Upstream will hit theaters nationwide — in addition to DVD and VOD outlets — on January 16, 2018; New York and L.A. theater-goers can see the film a few days earlier on January 12. More on the acclaimed doc can be found online at www.whatliesupstream.com.

How would you describe What Lies Upstream to someone who hasn’t yet seen the trailer?

Cullen Hoback: Well, the film is stylistically a fast-paced political thriller. If you liked Spotlight, you’ll probably like What Lies Upstream. There’s similar revelations regarding systemic corruption. Though in What Lies Upstream, the corruption is within the organizations tasked with protecting drinking water.

The film begins with an investigation into a mysterious chemical that spilled into a river. I’m on-camera as a kind of surrogate for the audience, asking questions, trying to get to the bottom of why a mysterious chemical ended up in school water fountains, kitchen sinks, and the local beer. But this small town story is really just a clue for a far larger crisis. Why do drinking water crises like the one in Flint happen? You’ll find out in this film, and you’ll think twice the next time you pour yourself a big glass of water from the tap.

What was the hardest part of making the film?

Cullen Hoback: In any on-going investigation, uncertainty is a big factor. It’s easy to feel defeated along the way. In fact, it wasn’t until the Flint crisis happened that I pivoted the film to be about regulatory corruption. Up until that point, I thought agencies like the EPA and CDC had the public’s health as their primary interest.

Where did the idea for the film come from? When did you first start caring about your drinking water?

Cullen Hoback: When the initial water crisis in West Virginia hit, I actually found about it thanks to a text from my mom. I used to have family in the region where the water was contaminated. But what motivated me to hop on a plane from Los Angeles to West Virginia less than 24 hours after finding out about this? The smell. People discovered the chemical was in their drinking water because it smelled like licorice. What if there hadn’t been any smell at all? Would people have been poisoned without knowing? I hoped my background as an investigative filmmaker could help answer this question.

Do you have any fears about the repercussions that could follow from putting out a film that criticizes government policy?

Cullen Hoback: Not really. Some people at agencies like the CDC and EPA won’t like what the film reveals, while other scientists within their ranks will find that the film perfectly captures the kind of anti-enforcement culture that permeates their departments. Of course, there are lobbyists in the film who might prefer they weren’t on-camera overtly undermining public health. And someone like Scott Pruitt — who now helms the EPA — will probably welcome the criticism, as he’s trying to do away we the whole operation. The reality is that we can’t cover up problems because they’re inconvenient and we can’t throw out the baby with the bathwater; we just need our environmental policemen to do their jobs. There’s a lot of absolutist rhetoric on all sides right now and the subtraction of nuance never leads to good outcomes.

Overall, is there a goal you have for the film?

Cullen Hoback: On a state by state level, we’d like to help support efforts aimed at separating politics from science. This means creating a wall between politicians, the money that supports them, and the scientific agencies tasked with protecting public health.

What Lies Upstream aside, what else is coming up for you?

Cullen Hoback: I’m working on two new films, one of which tackles the recount effort in 2016 and whether or not election systems were hacked.

When not making films, how do you like to spend your free time?

Cullen Hoback: I try to get away from screens and unplug… So backpacking, thawing on a beach, anything that reconnects me to the non-digital world.

This film aside, what’s been your favorite film of 2017?

Cullen Hoback: Without question, Blade Runner 2049 takes my favorite narrative slot. There’s been so many great documentaries, I’d be hard-pressed to choose. Fortunately, What Lies Upstream doesn’t officially release until January 16, 2018 — New York and L.A. theaters on January 12.

Finally, Cullen, any last words for the kids?

Cullen Hoback: The kids are alright, but their water’s not.

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Tags: Blade Runner 2049, Cullen Hoback, Flint, Spotlight, Water, West Virginia, What Lies Upstream

About the Author

Darren Paltrowitz Darren Paltrowitz is a New York resident with over 20 years of entertainment industry experience. He began working around the music business as a teenager, interning for the manager of his then-favorite band Superdrag. Since then, he has worked with a wide array of artists including OK Go, They Might Be Giants, Mike Viola, Tracy Bonham, Loudness, Rachael Yamagata, and Amanda Palmer. Darren's writing has appeared in dozens of outlets including the New York Daily News, Inquisitr, The Daily Meal, The Hype Magazine, All Music Guide, Guitar World, TheStreet.com, Businessweek, Chicago Tribune, L.A. Times, and the Jewish Journal. Beyond being "Editor At Large" for The Hype Magazine, Darren is also the host of weekly "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" series, which airs on dozens on television and digital networks. He has also co-authored 2 published books, 2018's "Pocket Change: Your Happy Money" (Book Web Publishing) and 2019's "Good Advice From Professional Wrestling" (6623 Press), and co-hosts the world's only known podcast about David Lee Roth, "The DLR Cast."