Cadillac Desert
DVD/Video Cover
Directed by	Jon Else Linda Harrar
Written by	Jon Else Sandra Postel Marc Reisner
Produced by	Sandra Itkoff
Narrated by	Alfre Woodard
Cinematography	Hilyard John Brown Michael Chin Jon Else
Edited by	Robert Dalva Deborah Hoffmann Glenn Hunsberger
Music by	Martin Bresnick
Production companies	KTEH Trans Pacific TV
Distributed by	PBS
Release date	June 24, 1997 (1997-06-24) (United States)
Running time	270 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Cadillac Desert: Water and the Transformation of Nature is a 1997 American four-part documentary series about water, money, politics, and the transformation of nature.^[1] The film was directed by Jon H. Else and Linda Harrar.

Synopsis

The film chronicles the growth of a large community in the western American desert. It brought abundance and a legacy of risk created in the United States and abroad.

The first three episodes are based on Marc Reisner's book, Cadillac Desert (1986), that delves into the history of water use and misuse in the American West. It explores the triumph and disaster, heroism and intrigue, and the rivalries and bedfellows that dominate this little-known chapter of American history.

The final episode is drawn from Sandra Postel's book, Last Oasis (1992), which examines the global impact of the technologies and policies that came out of the United States' manipulation of water. She demonstrates how they have created the need for conservation methods that will protect Earth's water for the next century.

The parts of the documentary are entitled:

1. "Mulholland's Dream" (90 minutes)
2. "An American Nile" (60 minutes)
3. "The Mercy of Nature" (60 minutes)
4. "Last Oasis" (60 minutes)

Interviews

• David Brower
• Floyd Dominy
• Barry Goldwater
• Robert Towne