Fascinating Doc Film ‘Pistachio Wars’ Trailer About California’s Water
by Alex Billington
October 10, 2025
Source: YouTube
“Why does no one talk about it?” Watermelon Pics is releasing this fascinating, upsetting new documentary film titled Pistachio Wars, a remarkable true story about the billionaires behind the California pistachio farms. Made by investigative journalists who spent years looking into the truth behind what’s going on. They follow a trickle of information upstream, leading to disgusting revelations about California’s water and the people hoarding it to build their own agricultural empire. As Los Angeles burns, everyone wants to know… why do cities in California often seem to constantly go up in flames? Journalist Yasha Levine and filmmaker Rowan Wernham take a road trip into the dark heart of the California Dream. They look at the system and the people that have allowed unchecked development to rage across the state, destroying the environment and creating mega-cities and mega-farms. Right at the center of their story is Stewart & Lynda Resnick. They’re billionaires who live in Beverly Hills. And they have a monopoly on the pistachio trade. Of course they do! It’s always some greedy bastards like this ruining everything just to hold onto their piles of money. I wish everyone could enjoy delicious, health pistachios without this kind of terrible environmental damage.
Official trailer for Yasha Levine & Rowan Wernham’s doc film Pistachio Wars, direct from YouTube:
“Plays like a Chinatown for the age of global warming — complete with mystery, political corruption and at the center of it, the question we’ve confronted since civilization began: who gets the water?” –Filmmaker Adam McKay
Journalist Yasha Levine follows a lead about a water sale between a farmer and a small desert town—and discovers a hidden side to California’s healthy snack industry. At the very center of the story are a couple named Stewart & Lynda Resnick. They’re billionaires. They live in the flashiest mansion in Beverly Hills and have a monopoly on the pistachio trade. They’ve taken control of California’s water—draining rivers, building plantations in the middle of a desert, leaving a trail of environmental collapse. Towns ravaged by drought, farms built on oil fields, mass extinction, a water heist straight from the plot of Chinatown, and… war with Iran? It’s a road trip into the dark heart of the American Dream. Pistachio Wars is co-directed by journalists / filmmakers Yasha Levine and Rowan Wernham, both making their feature directorial debut. Produced by Rowan Wernham; executive produced by Thierry Jutel and Adam McKay. This initially premiered at the 2024 Doc Edge Festival in NZ last year. Watermelon Pictures has debuted Pistachio Wars direct-to-VOD on October 7th, 2025 this fall. It’s available to watch now – head to the film’s official site.