The Way We Carry Water | Award-Winning Short Film About Acequia Culture in New Mexico

A young man inherits his grandfather's land, his acequia, and his grief. The Way We Carry Water is an award-winning short film about loss, renewal, and the living tradition of acequia culture in Northern New Mexico, filmed across all four seasons. Produced by @ChileLineMedia and Written & Directed by Makaio Frazier, The Way We Carry Water follows Marcos, a young man struggling with the sudden loss of his grandfather, Iván. As he works through his grief, Marcos must take on the responsibility of preserving his family's acequia, an ancient irrigation system that not only sustains the land but also holds generations of cultural memory. Filmed across the four seasons, the story mirrors the cycles of nature, grief and healing, death and rebirth, and offers a poetic reflection on legacy, resilience, and the bond between people and place. With a quiet, immersive narrative, The Way We Carry Water is a deeply personal exploration of what it means to carry forward tradition in a changing world. 00:00 - Prologue 01:58 - Regret and Denial 04:24 - Lessons of the Rio 07:38 - The Struggle 14:15 - A Dying Wish 17:08 - Passing the Torch 19:25 - Reflections on the Water's Edge 20:45 - Ditch Day / Carrying the Legacy 23:50 - Credits 🏆 AWARDS & RECOGNITION Audience Choice Award – Las Cruces International Film Festival Best Local Short – Las Cruces International Film Festival TaosFF Favorite – Taos Film Festival Selected – ICG Emerging Cinematographer Awards (Jannis Schelenz, Director of Photography) 🎬 OFFICIAL SELECTIONS Santa Fe International Film Festival (World Premiere) Las Cruces International Film Festival Taos Film Festival Arizona International Film Festival ICG Emerging Cinematographer Awards, Los Angeles, DGA Theater CREDITS Written & Directed by Makaio Frazier Director of Photography: Jannis Schelenz Starring: Drew Lopez, Marcos Martinez, and Aaryan Attreya Executive Produced by Diego Joaquin López Produced by Chile Line Media in partnership with Hands Across Cultures End credits song: "Canción de las Acequias," performed by Maximiño Manzanares Made with the support of the Hands Across Cultures, the Santa Fe Film Institute's Los Luceros Historic Site grant, and the Northern Rio Grande Heritage Area. In memoriam of Russell Ivan Shinn. Funds raised at our community screenings supported the New Mexico Acequia Association. Learn more about acequias and the people who keep them flowing: https://lasacequias.org Chile Line Media | https://www.chilelinemedia.com | Instagram: @chilelinemedia #TheWayWeCarryWater #ShortFilm #Acequia #NorthernNewMexico #NewMexicoFilm #ChicanoCinema #IndependentFilm #ChileLineMedia