Ithaca Community Cinema Reports on TAKING ROOT

Ithaca Community Cinema recently held a screening of the Independent Lens film TAKING ROOT: The Vision of Wangari Maathai at S.T.A.M.P.'s Guerrilla Griots Human Rights Media Arts Center. TAKING ROOT tells the dramatic story of Kenyan Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Wangari Maathai whose simple act of planting trees grew into a global movement. Afterwards, a discussion was led by the film's musical composer and two sisters from Kenya who participated in the Green Belt Movement. Read more about this event and its impact in the report below from the Guerrilla Griots blog.

S.T.A.M.P.’s Guerrilla Griots Human Rights Media Arts Center is one of over 50 venues throughout the United States who participate in a free, monthly screening series in partnership with ITVS and PBS. Community Cinema is a monthly screening series which creates accessible opportunities for civic engagement and public education around important social issues. To bring in Spring, Community Cinema featured TAKING ROOT: The Vision of Wangari Maathai. 

TAKING ROOT tells the dramatic story of Kenyan Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Wangari Maathai whose simple act of planting trees grew into a nationwide movement to safeguard the environment, protect human rights and defend democracy––a movement for which this charismatic woman became an iconic inspiration. On March 20, over 100 people from the greater Ithaca area packed a small screening room downtown to watch the film; listen to the inspiration of TAKING ROOT musical composer Samite of Uganda; learn from two sisters from Kenya who participated in the Green Belt Movement; and share local, fair-trade and organic fare courtesy of GreenStar Community Projects.

The post-screening community discussion focused on Samite’s inspiration to create the music featured in TAKING ROOT, in addition to the challenges he faced in being an Ugandan who only briefly lived in Kenya and was not fluent in the native language. "Never give up," he repeated constantly regarding all the magical moments that helped him surpass the hurdles in creating his first film score. He remarked that he was “truly inspired” by the film and the work of Wangari Maathai with whom he is friends. 

The Kamau sisters spoke passionately about their involvement in the Green Belt Movement, and the power of the people to make change. Guerrilla Griots is all about challenging the status quo, so we were in excellent company to celebrate the Spring Equinox–the energetic embodiment of change! Refreshments for the evening (both pre/post screening) were provided courtesy of GreenStar Cooperative Market’s not-for-profit Community Projects initiative. Elizabeth Karabinakis coordinated local, fair-trade and organic fare for all to enjoy––with the support of Ithaca Bakery, Moosewood Restaurant and the following family farms: Cayuga Pure Organics, Finger Lakes Farmstead, Kenyan Highland, Littletree Orchards, Lively Run Goat Dairy, Organic Valley Northeast, Remembrance Farm and Silver Queen Farm. 

Read more about this event and others on the Guerrilla Griots blog >>