Critic Reviews

Simple as Water is anything but simple when it comes to its technical achievements, weaving together familiar immigrant narratives in ways that still manage to surprise and stun.

An achingly poignant testament to the unwavering strength of parental and filial bonds.

You can hardly see the scaffold of a documentary film at all. In fact, “Simple” unfolds more like a riveting neorealist drama, with no trace of the woman and her crew behind the camera, no talking heads, no filmmakerly intervention of any kind

A graceful, touching sampler of dilemmas few viewers are likely to have experienced, even as they become ever-more-common reality for the less fortunate in many nations.

In a vast sea of tasteless or mishandled cinematic nonfiction, Simple As Water displays the voice of a talented filmmaker, exhibits a potently important topic, and shines a light on the international plight of families who deserve to be admired for their courage.