Taking Root: The Vision of Wangari Maathai

Lisa Merton began her career as a weaver. She studied textile design and weaving in Scandinavia and, after returning to the U.S., worked professionally as a weaver for 10 years. While studying in Norway, Merton was inspired by a series of tapestries that depicted the occupation of Norway by the Nazis. Her intent was to weave tapestry and use it as an art form for social change, but instead she ended up as a production weaver. It was not until she started making films in 1989 that she fulfilled her intent to weave images that could inspire social change. Dater has a master’s degree in teaching English and has taught English as a second language in multicultural classrooms. She brings her interest in education, cultural diversity, and social change, as well as her skill as a craftsman, to the filmmaking process.

Alan Dater graduated from Goddard College in 1965 with a B.A. in philosophy. He began his film career in New York City shortly thereafter working on documentaries as a freelance soundman and later as a director/cameraman. Many of these productions were broadcast on the major U.S. networks and include Lifeline, an Emmy Award-winning medical documentary series for NBC; The Body Human, an Emmy Award-winning medical series for CBS; and National Geographic specials. Dater has gained extensive experience in film and video from working on many productions on the arts, social issues and education as well as projects for the corporate world. These productions include the feature film Hi Mom, directed by Brian De Palma and starring Robert De Niro and a documentary about the country singer Johnny Cash called Johnny Cash: The Man, His World, His Music. After moving to Vermont, Dater continued his freelance career and began producing independent films.