MARSEILLE: MASTERING WATER

Behind Marseille’s water supply lies the story of a daring gamble that became a masterpiece of engineering.

For a long time, fresh water was a rare and precious resource in Marseille. Inaugurated in 1849, the Canal de Marseille is a feat of engineering that forever changed the city’s destiny. To bring water into the city, rivers had to be diverted, tunnels carved into hillsides, bridges and aqueducts built across Provence, and hundreds of reservoirs constructed… This monumental network still supplies France’s second-largest city today – and continues to be reimagined and modernized by today’s engineers.

Combining exclusive 3D sequences, expert interviews, and unprecedented access to extraordinary infrastructure, this documentary tells the story of a colossal project launched more than 150 years ago and still evolving to meet the challenges of the 21^st century.