African Studies Media Catalog
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Africa: Search for Common Ground (Videocassette NA ) [2005]
ON-ORDER
Abstract: Seven-part series by the NGO, Search for Common Ground, which emphasizes conflict resolution, prevention and transformation. Contents: Program 1-- Thokoza Video Dialogues for Peace; Program 2 -- When Things Fall Apart (Congo), Breaking the Cycle: Domestic Violence (South Africa); Program 3 --'Reconciliation Radio (Burundi), Democracy or Disruption - Wangari Maathai and Green Belt (Kenya); Program 4 -- The Hunt for Witches (South Africa); Program 5 -- A.T. Toure and the Peace Flame (Mali), Water, Water Everywhere (Lesotho); Program 6 -- Under the Baobab Tree (South Africa), Making the Angola Peace Song (Angola); Program 7 -- Between Confession and Prosecution: Truth and Reconciliation (South Africa).
Director: NA Distributor:Search for Common Ground
Keywords: Angola, Burundi, Congo, Kenya, Lesotho, Mali, South Africa, conflict resolution, violence, TRC
Baboon Tales (Videocassette : 52 min. ) [1998]
OXFORD V.CASS.305
Abstract: Based on 26 years of fieldwork by anthropologist/primatologist Shirley Strum, this film documents social and parenting skills of baboons toward their offspring through the first year of a newborn's life during a season of drought. Accompanied by study guide.
Director: Gillian Darling Kovanic Distributor:Bullfrog Films
Keywords: Kenya, Baboons, anthropology, primatology
Benjamin and His Brother (DVD : 87 min. ) [2002]
DVD7071
Abstract: Tells the story of Benjamin and William Deng, two young Sudanese men who left Sudan in the mass exodus of boy refugees in 1987. This group became known as the Lost Boys, and in 2001, the U.S. government began a project to resettle them from the Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya to the United States. William went to Houston, Texas, and eventually was reunited with his grandmother and other relatives in Kansas City. Benjamin remained at the refugee camp and is waiting to be allowed to emigrate.
Director: Arthur Howes Distributor:Documentary Educational Resources
Keywords: Kenya, Sudan, Kakuma refugee camp, orphans, immigrants, civil war
Black Man's Land Trilogy (Videocassette : 156 min. ) [1986]
Abstract: Three films on colonialism, nationalism and revolution in Kenya: White Man's Country; Mau Mau; and Kenyatta. See individual titles for description.
Director: David Koff, Anthony Howarth Distributor:NA
Keywords: Kenya, history, settler colonialism, Mau Mau, Jomo Kenyatta, nationalism, politics
Black Man's Land Trilogy (DVD : 156 min. ) [1986]
Abstract: Three-part series of films consisting of White Man's Country (part 1), Mau Mau (part 2) and Kenyatta (part 3); all of the films combine period photographs and contemporary location footage with the testimony of African and European witnesses. The trilogy covers the violence of colonial rule, white settlement and African resistance in the story of Kenya, as the British tried to make it a 'white man's country' like South Africa or New Zealand. Land was allocated, settlers welcomed, and the 'jewel of the British empire' was born. But it was African land that was taken, African labor that was used to develop it, and African taxes that kept the colonial regime solvent. How did Africans confront this process? White Man's Country tells this story. Mau Mau traces the history of the state of emergency declared by the British Colonial government of Kenya in 1952 in an attempt to subdue the movement among black Kenyans for political and civil rights. Kenyatta offers a biographical account of Jomo Kenyatta, the man who became Kenya's national leader and who eventually led the movement to establish an independent government.
Director: David Koff, Anthony Howarth Distributor:Facets Multimedia
Keywords: Kenya, history, settler colonialism, land, history, politics
Bosnia Hotel: Kenya Warriors in Bosnia (Videocassette : 52 min. ) [1996]
V. CASS. VHS 3898
Abstract: Juxtaposed with reflections of Samburu warriors from Kenya upon their experience as part of the UN peace-keeping force in Bosnia are their traditional practices of circumcision and blood drinking.
Director: Thomas Balmès Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Kenya, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Samburu, ritual, transnationalism, army, United Nations
Chronicle of a Savanna Marriage (Videocassette : 56 min. ) [1984]
V. CASS. VHS 3816
Abstract: A unique view of the life and culture of the Maasai people in Kenya and Tanzania.
Director: Stig Holmqvist Distributor:MGM Home Entertainment
Keywords: East Africa, Maasai, marriage, gender, pastoralism
Continent that Overslept: Africa, The (DVD : 58 min. ) [2005]
DVD 8285
Abstract: The award-winning investigative team of Heilbuth and Bulow (Battle of the Titans) produced this thoroughly researched program with a bold disregard for political correctness. They met with a new generation of African businessmen and intellectuals who addressed the appalling lack of progress. These Africans are outraged at the widening gap between the rich heads of state and poor subjects; the lack of a work ethic among African workers; and the fact that famine still claims so many lives when Africa could easily feed itself. The film shows that Africa is a rich area: it has 70% of the world's cobalt reserves; 46% of its diamonds; 44% of its chrome; and great hydroelectric power potential. Contrary to popular belief, Africa is not densely populated. The young, educated Africans feel that colonialism and the rich countries of the world can no longer be blamed for all the ills of Africa. As one African journalist says, 'It is unfortunate and shameful to see Africa with all her potential, always turning to the West and saying 'Give us this, give us that.' A young Kenyan businessman says he is embarrassed by an economy built on aid. Yet, he believes that a change is taking place across Africa and 'we have to take our place amongst the nations.'
Director: Poul Erik Heilbuth and Hans Bulow Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: economy, politics, government, development
Crossroads (Videocassette : 55 min. ) [1996]
V. CASS. VHS 3801
Abstract: The location is a crossing of roads leading from Uganda into Tanzania and from Kenya via Rwanda to Zaire. Some years ago, Mama Shillingi started her 'hotelli' at the crossroads. She offered food and shelter to truck drivers. Until, in 1994, thousands of dead bodies came floating down the nearby Kagera river. Shortly thereafter, the refugees came across the border. Within a few days, half a million people had settled there. Around a hamlet of four houses, a boom town arose called Benaco.
Director: Hillie Molenaar and Joop van Wijk Distributor:First Run/Icarus
Keywords: East Africa, Rwanda, refugees, genocide, social life
Day I Will Never Forget (The) (Videocassette : 90 min. ) [2002]
V.CASS. VHS 8108
Abstract: Examines the practice of female genital mutilation in Kenya and the pioneering African women who are bravely reversing the tradition.
Director: Kim Longinotto Distributor:Women Make Movies
Keywords: Kenya, women, female genital surgeries, circumcision
Diary of a Maasai Village (Videocassette : 300 min. ) [1984]
V. CASS. VHS 3960 pt. 1-5
Abstract: A study of life in a Maasai village as a representation of the Maasai people in Kenya. An attempt to describe a moment in the history of the Laibon's family. (5 videocassettes: 300 min.)
Director: Melissa Llewellyn-Davies Distributor:Documentary Educational Resources
Keywords: Kenya, Maasai, social life, family, ritual experts
Flip-Flotsam (DVD : 26 min. ) [2003]
DVD 8239
Abstract: This beautifully photographed, charming documentary traces the fantastic journey of Africa's most popular shoes: the flip-flop. Easily bought, quickly discarded, for Westerners the flip-flop stands as a symbol of the summer holiday. But in its African homeland, it has a unique life cycle, and their story reveals much about Africa¹s economy and culture. The flip-flops' journey begins in the factories of Mombasa, where 20 million pairs a year are made. Cheap and colorful, they have become an integral part of Swahili dress and are everywhere: aboard dhows and donkeys, bearing loads and left waiting for their owners on mosque door steps. Worn-out ones are taken to the cobblers who specialize in flip-flop maintenance. But some are too damaged to repair and are discarded. Every May, the monsoon rains wash rubbish into the ocean where the flip-flops' buoyancy allows them to host barnacles and crabs. Finally they come to rest further down the African coast. The colorful debris is prized by vilagers who ingeniously carve the flip-flops into toys and mobiles, fuelling a new cottage industry that provides precious income for many families. Newly transformed, the flip-flops are transported back to the shop-lined shores of Mombasa -- where their journey first began.
Director: Etienne Oliff Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Kenya, Mombasa, Swahili, economy, clothing, recycled products, crafts
Freedom Now, 1947 (Videocassette : 56 min. ) [1998]
V. CASS. VHS 4210
Abstract: In 1947, 160 years of British rule came to an end as India became the world's largest democracy, inspiring the fight for freedom on another continent. This film talks with the people who witnessed and participated in the struggle for independence in India and Africa. While Mohandas Gandhi showed the world how the masses could successfully defy their imperial masters, his example spurred others on: European empires in Africa and Asia began to crumble, and in short order, Ghana, Kenya, Algeria, Mozambique, and dozens more would win their freedom.
Director: Jennifer Clayton Distributor:WGBH Boston Video
Keywords: Ghana, Kenya, Algeria, Mozambique, history, Gandhi, politics, colonialism
Ghost and the Darkness (The) (DVD : 109 min. ) [1998]
DVD 3992
Abstract: Two lions on a man-eating rampage have shut down the construction of a railway in 1896 East Africa. The beasts hunt together, showing no fear of man or fire. What's more, they're killing for sport rather than for food--and they have an almost supernatural knack for knowing what traps await them. Big-game hunter Remington and construction engineer Patterson set out to stop these unstoppable monsters. But, in this astonishing tale of man against beast, the hunters become the hunted.
Director: Stephen Hopkins Distributor:Paramount
Keywords: Kenya, East Africa, feature film
Great Wonder (A): Lost Children of Sudan (DVD : 61 min. ) [2004]
DVD 7676
Abstract: More than 2 million Sudanese have died in the longest uninterrupted civil war in the world, now in its 20th year. Another 5 million civilians have fled their homes to escape the fighting. A Great Wonder traces the extraordinary journey of three young Sudanese orphans, a fraction of the 17,000 so-called 'Lost Boys' of Sudan, who have spent the majority of their lives either in flight from war or in refugee camps in Ethiopia and Northern Kenya. Having navigated the hazards of warfare, disease and starvation, their arrival and resettlement in Seattle, Washington is not your average immigration story. Over the course of 18 months, these youths have recorded their own experiences through their own eyes and in their own words using digital video cameras. The resulting diaries serve as a personal thread throughout the film, incorporating first-hand accounts of their experiences in war with their radically different lives as immigrants in America. A story of survival in its most elemental form, A Great Wonder explores the concepts of loss, faith, community and freedom as it bears witness to the spirit that drives these young people to rebuild their lives.
Director: Kim Shelton Distributor:Bull Frog Films
Keywords: Sudan, refugees, immigrants, children, war, resettlement
In Search of Bin Laden (Videocassette : 60 min. ) [2001]
V. CASS. VHS 6528
Abstract: Investigates Osama bin Laden, his followers, and the bombings of two United States embassies in Africa in 1998. This special edition of the television show Frontline has been updated to cover the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, of which bin Laden is also accused.
Director: Martin Smith Distributor:PBS Video
Keywords: Kenya, Tanzania, terrorists, bombings, politics, history
Kenya, Where Women Rule (DVD : 20 min. ) [2006]
DVD 8230
Abstract: Domestic violence against women is rife among the Samburu in Kenya. In Samburu culture, the women also do all the work, including building the homes, herding, collecting firewood and water and caring for the children. In the 1980s and 90s, two hundred women from the tribe claimed they were raped by men from a nearby British army base. The Samburu men rejected them, whipped them and threw them out of their homes. In 1990 a small group of these stigmatized women decided to band together and create their own village. Under the leadership of one woman, Rebecca Lollosoli, their village has prospered, taking advantage of the income from tourism. The Samburu men have tried to sabotage the tourist business and have also mounted raids on the village. Finally, the Samburu men's chief tried to effect a reconciliation, but the women vehemently rejected his proposal. They are clearly enjoying the advantages of independence!
Director: Stormland Productions Distributor:NA
Keywords: Kenya, Samburu, women, economy, rape, tourism
Kenyatta (Videocassette : 52 min. ) [1979]
V.CASS. VHS 8855/ DVD 9267
Abstract: Jomo Kenyatta's death in 1978 brought to an end a political career that encompassed more than 50 years of African history. Kenyatta entered politics in the mid-1920s and then spent 17 years in exile in Europe. He returned to Kenya in 1946, and in 1947 took over leadership of the Kenya African Union. Arrested and imprisoned in 1952 in the wake of the mau mau uprising, he was released in 1961 and two years later became Kenya's first Prime Minister. In power, the man whom Europeans had once reviled as 'the leader to darkness and death' was eulogized by them as a pillar of stability. This film weaves archival and contemporary images with interviews with friends and relatives, comrades and opponents to create a biographical portrait of a key figure in 20th century politics, and a case study of nationalism as a political force in Africa. Also available in DVD format (DVD 9267). This film is part 3 of the Black Man's Land trilogy; see also White Man's Country (part 1) and Mau Mau (part 2).
Director: David Koff, Anthony Howarth Distributor:Bellwether Group
Keywords: Kenya, Jomo Kenyatta, history, settler colonialism, politics, nationalism, biography
Kenyatta (Video Disc/Laser Vision : 52 min. ) [1973]
DVD 9267/ VHS 8855
Abstract: Jomo Kenyatta's death in 1978 brought to an end a political career that encompassed more than 50 years of African history. Kenyatta entered politics in the mid-1920s and then spent 17 years in exile in Europe. He returned to Kenya in 1946, and in 1947 took over leadership of the Kenya African Union. Arrested and imprisoned in 1952 in the wake of the mau mau uprising, he was released in 1961 and two years later became Kenya's first Prime Minister. In power, the man whom Europeans had once reviled as 'the leader to darkness and death' was eulogized by them as a pillar of stability. This film weaves archival and contemporary images with interviews with friends and relatives, comrades and opponents to create a biographical portrait of a key figure in 20th century politics, and a case study of nationalism as a political force in Africa. Also available in videocassette format (VHS 8855). This film is part 3 of the Black Man's Land trilogy; see also White Man's Country (part 1) and Mau Mau (part 2).
Director: Anthony Howarth and David Koff Distributor:Cinemagician Productions
Keywords: Kenya, Jomo Kenyatta, politics, history, biography, colonialism, nationalism
Kitchen Toto (The) (Video Disc/Laser Vision : 96 min. ) [1987]
V. DISC 1515
Abstract: Set in 1950 Kenya as British rule was being threatened by Mau Mau terrorists. A young Kikuyu boy is torn between the British for whom he works and the guerrilla freedom fighters who want him to join them. Complex and powerful story of the Kenyan freedom crusade. Director/Author: Harry Hook.
Director: Harry Hook Distributor:Warner Home Video
Keywords: Kenya, colonialism, history, Mau Mau, feature film
Left Behind (Videocassette : 36 min. ) [2002]
VHS 9155
Abstract: Left Behind is a 36-minute documentary that reveals the devastating effects of AIDS on Kenya's children by exploring the lives of HIV-positive orphans at Nyumbani Children's Home; why the virus spreads in the poverty-ridden slum of Kibera; and the struggle for survival of homeless children in nearby Dagoretti who lost their parents to AIDS. Through the eyes and voices of the children themselves, as well as prostitutes, slum dwellers and those infected with HIV, Left Behind dramatically exposes the enormity of the challenge that faces all those who seek to help the victims and prevent the collapse of a continent.
Director: Christof Putzel Distributor:www.films.com
Keywords: Kenya, HIV/AIDS, children, orphans, homelessness
Living in Africa: African Solutions to African Problems (DVD : 150 min. ) [1995]
See individual titles
Abstract: Series of five films (each 30 minutes):
Lorang's Way (Videocassette : 69 min. ) [1980]
V. CASS. VHS 2503
Abstract: A multifaceted portrait of Lorang, the head of a Turkana homestead, a society of semi-nomadic, isolated herders who inhabit the dry thorn country of northwestern Kenya. Lorang has begun to recognize that his society is vulnerable to change from the outside. Part of Turkana Trilogy (see also The Wedding Camels and Wife among Wives).
Director: David and Judith MacDougall Distributor:University of California Extension Center for Media
Keywords: Kenya, Turkana, pastoralists
Lost Boys of Sudan (DVD : 170 min. ) [2003]
DVD 4505
Abstract: Follows two Sudanese refugees on an extraordinary journey from Africa to America. Orphaned as young boys in one of Africa's cruelest civil wars, Peter Dut and Santino Chuor survived lion attacks and militia gunfire to reach a refugee camp in Kenya along with thousands of other children. From there, remarkably, they were chosen to come to America. Safe at last from physical danger and hunger, a world away from home, they find themselves confronted with the abundance and alienation of contemporary American suburbia. Disc one includes an 87-minute version of this film, disc two has a 55-minute version of the film, special features and five additional video segments.
Director: Megan Mylan Distributor:Lost Boys of Sudan
Keywords: Sudan, United States, civil war, refugees
Maasai and Agents of Change (The) (Videocassette : 32 min. ) [2001]
V. CASS. VHS 6294
Abstract: A rare opportunity to see life among the Maasai as filmed by one of their own warriors. The filmmaker and narrator is a Maasai who is studying at a United States college. He returned to Kenya to film the lifestyles and colorful ceremonies of his people before their culture becomes extinct. We learn that the traditional pastoral and nomadic life is under attack by outside forces who want to impose a money economy and privatize the land.
Director: Kakuta Ole Maimai Hamisi Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Kenya, Maasai, pastoralism
Mama Wahunzi: Women Blacksmiths (Videocassette : 57 min. ) [2002]
V.CASS. VHS 8049
Abstract: A documentary on women and other citizens in Uganda and Kenya who face life with disabilities and without tools like wheelchairs, which would enable them to lead fuller lives. Through the efforts of some women, the wheelchair industry is now able to make the lives of citizens and in particular women more productive, by supplying these tools.
Director: Lawan Jirasuradej Distributor:Women Make Movies
Keywords: Uganda, Kenya, women, disability, economy
Maragoli (Videocassette : 58 min. ) [1992]
V. CASS. VHS 1823
Abstract: A documentary in which the villagers of the Maragoli region in Kenya describe their reaction to 'development' by explaining their aspirations, why they have so many children and why they fear the destruction of their traditional ways. Portrays the interlocking problems of high fertility rates, land scarcity, lack of education and employment and migration.
Director: NA Distributor:Sandra Nichols Production
Keywords: Kenya, Luhya, development, fertility, migration
Masai Manhood (Videocassette : 53 min. ) [1991]
V. CASS. VHS 4598
Abstract: An ethnographic view of Maasai culture and society, focusing on the preparation of young Maasai boys for manhood and leadership in their society. Follows the seven years of transition in which the boys serve as warriors and learn about survival and the outside world, as dictated by their elders. Consultant: Melissa Llewellyn-Davies. [1991 (orig. 1970s)]
Director: Chris Curling Distributor:Films Inc.
Keywords: Kenya, Maasai, education, gender, ritual
Masai Women (Videocassette : 52 min. ) [1990]
V. CASS. VHS 2083
Abstract: An ethnographic view of Maasai culture and society, focusing on the preparation of young Maasai girls for marriage and life in their society. Probes, through a candid interview with an older woman, the feelings of the Maasai women about polygamy and their inability to own property. Anthropologist: Melissa Llewellyn-Davies.
Director: Chris Curling Distributor:Films Inc.
Keywords: Kenya, Maasai, marriage, gender
Mau Mau (Video Disc/Laser Vision : 52 min. ) [1973]
DVD 9266
Abstract: In October 1952 the British government declared a State of Emergency in Kenya in order to defeat Mau Mau. In the war that followed, fewer than 40 of 40,000 white settlers were killed while more than 15,000 Africans lost their lives and hundreds of thousands more were arrested and subjected to a humiliating and often brutal process of 'rehabilitation.' Mau Mau traces the history of the state of emergency declared by the British Colonial government of Kenya in 1952 in an attempt to subdue the movement among black Kenyans for political and civil rights. Reveals the secret society known as Mau Mau to have been an attempt by the white minority to discredit the rising tide of black nationalism. Using newsreel and previously inaccessible archive footage, and drawing on interviews with participants on both sides, this film examines the myth and reality of Africa's first modern guerrilla war. This film is part 2 of the Black Man's Land trilogy; see also White Man's Country (part 1) and Kenyatta (part 3).
Director: David Koff, Anthony Howarth Distributor:NA
Keywords: Kenya, Mau Mau, history, colonialism, politics, settlers, nationalism, violence, war
Nawi (Videocassette : 23 min. ) [1970]
V. CASS. VHS 2971
Abstract: Depicts a segment of the life of the Jie, a semi-nomadic people from northeastern Uganda. Follows their move to northwestern Kenya during the dry seasons from their homestead to a temporary camp (nawi) where grass is plentiful for their cattle. By David and Judith MacDougal. Part of Jie Trilogy (see also To Live With Herds and Under the Men's Tree).
Director: David and Judith MacDougal Distributor:University of California Extension Center for Media
Keywords: Uganda, Jie, pastoralists
Nirgendwo in Afrika = Nowhere in Africa (DVD : 135 min. ) [2002]
DVD 2290
Abstract: The German Jewish Redlich family flees in 1938 to Kenya, where husband and lawyer Walter finds work as a manager on a farm. While his wife Jettel struggles with their new life and its challenges threaten their marriage, their once shy daughter Regina blossoms. The film follws their efforts to adjust to the different cultures around them and the challenges that they face during the War. After the War is over Walter is offered a position as a judge in Frankfurt. After so many years in Kenya, should he go back and will his family go with him?
Director: Caroline Link Distributor:MC One
Keywords: Germany, Kenya, Jews, settlers, WWII, Holocaust, feature film
No Easy Walk (Videocassette : 53 min. ) [1987]
V. CASS. VHS 3974 v. 1-3
Abstract: Chronicles how Ethiopia, Kenya, and Zimbabwe were subdued by colonial powers and later achieved independence from their oppressors.
Director: Bernard Odjija Distributor:Cinema Guild
Keywords: Ethiopia, Kenya, Zimbabwe, colonialism, history, politics
Orphans of Mathare (Videocassette : 62 min. ) [2003]
V.CASS. VHS 7911
Abstract: Documents the lives of former street children, many orphaned by HIV/AIDS, now living at the Good Samaritan Children's Home, an orphanage and school run by Mercy Thuo in the Mathare Slum of Nairobi, Kenya. By following the lives of several orphans, the film lays bare the complicated relationship between poverty, violence, disease, Christianity, tradition and the orphan crisis in Sub-Saharan Africa. Reveals that global AIDS is not simply a medical crisis but a socio-cultural one as well that threatens to create a generation of children without parents.
Director: Randy Bell Distributor:University of California Extension Center for Media
Keywords: Kenya, HIV/AIDS, orphans, poverty
Our Developing World: Studies in Regional Political Geography (Videocassette : 241 min. ) [1996]
IN-PROCESS
Abstract: Each video of this series presents the political geography of a certain region. Topics frequently reviewed for each region are economic development, education, politics, cultural geography, and other subject areas. Produced by the Information Department of the United Nations Developmental Programme with the support of UNICEF and PROWESS. Ten videocassettes (volumes five through seven concern African nations): (v. 1) Central America: Costa Rica; (v. 2) Central America: Cuba; (v. 3) South America: Brazil; (v. 4) South America: Paraguay; (v. 5) Africa: Tunisia, Libya, Egypt; (v. 6) Africa: Sierra Leone, Ghana, Kenya; (v. 7) Africa: Tanzania, Mozambique, Lesotho; (v. 8) Asia: Mongolia, China, Nepal; (v. 9) Asia: Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam; (v. 10) South Pacific/Oceania: The Philippines, Kiribati.
Director: Josy Dubie Distributor:Films for the Humanities & Sciences
Keywords: Costa Rica, Cuba, Brazil, Paraguay, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Lesotho, Mongolia, China, Nepal, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Oceania, the Philippines, Kiribati, politics, history, economics
Our Developing World: Studies in Regional Political Geography: Vol. 6. Africa: Sierra Leone, Ghana, Kenya (Videocassette : 26 min. ) [1996]
IN-PROCESS
Abstract: Each video of this series presents the political geography of a certain region. Topics frequently reviewed for each region are economic development, education, politics, cultural geography, and other subject areas. Produced by the Information Department of the United Nations Developmental Programme with the support of UNICEF and PROWESS.
Director: Josy Dubie Distributor:Films for the Humanities & Sciences
Keywords: Sierra Leone, Ghana, Kenya, politics, history, economics
Out of Africa (Video Disc/Laser Vision : 161 min. ) [1986]
V. DISC. 951
Abstract: The true story of Karen Blixen, a strong-willed woman who, with her philandering husband, runs a coffee plantation in Kenya, circa 1914. To her astonishment she soon discovers herself falling in love with the land, its people and the mysterious white hunter. Producer/Director: Sydney Pollack. 2 videodiscs/laser version
Director: Sydney Pollack Distributor:MCA Home Video
Keywords: Kenya, colonialism, feature film
Race Against Time: The AIDS Crisis in Africa (DVD : 48 min. ) [2002]
DVD 8057
Abstract: The AIDS crisis in Africa is an epidemic of staggering proportions. Thirty-six million people are infected with the HIV virus worldwide, with over 25 million of them in Africa, and a staggering number of Africans -- 17 million -- have died. This film is about the inspiring work of Canadian Stephen Lewis, the United Nations Special Envoy on HIV/AIDS in Africa as he searches for solutions to the pandemic ravaging the continent. Lewis describes the 'Herculean effort' that has begun to relieve the suffering. A global trust fund has been set up through the United Nations, which has grown to $1.5 billion. Drug companies have slashed their prices for anti-viral drugs for Africans, and there is now hope for the dying. After years of denial, there is now a new willingness on the part of African leaders to confront the disease. Lewis travels to Zambia and Kenya witnessing the challenges first hand as he talks to widows of AIDS victims, who are often infected themselves. In many instances, these ill women must care for their deceased relatives' children as well as their own, despite their desperate financial situation. On the plus side, he finds many creative, community-based educational programs that feature preventive 'safe sex' songs, dances and dramas.
Director: Stephen Lewis Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Kenya, Zambia, HIV/AIDS, United Nations, politics, health, performance
Searching for Hawa's Secret (Videocassette : 47 min. ) [1999]
VHS 9227
Abstract: Hawa Chelangat is a 37-year old prostitute who supports her five children through commercial sex. She met Frank Plummer, a Canadian microbiologist from the University of Manitoba, in a grim shanty town outside Nairobi. He had come to Kenya in 1981, before AIDS. The AIDS epidemic did not bring him to Africa, but it kept him there, searching for a vaccine. Since 1983 the center of Plummer's research has taken place at a clinic for female sex workers in the Nairobi slum where Hawa lives. In 1993 Plummer discovered that among the hundreds of women who came to his clinic, a small percentage of them, like Hawa, did not become infected with HIV. He became convinced that this apparent immunity was more than luck, that something in the immune women's bodies was preventing infection. A vaccine for the dreaded disease might emerge by duplicating whatever it was that seemed to make this small group of women immune. As this startling observation began to attract international attention, Plummer decided to study not the sick, but those women who stayed well, the women whose bodies held the secret. Searching for Hawa's Secret tells the remarkable story of the scientific quest to prevent rather than cure: a difficult endeavor when vaccine research gets only 1% of AIDS research funding globally. Despite funding inequities the work in Nairobi has shifted the paradigm of AIDS research, and has scientists across the globe seeking and finding similar groups with the natural immunity. It is also the human story of an unlikely partnership between a Canadian doctor and a Kenyan prostitute.
Director: Larry Krotz Distributor:First Run/Icarus Films
Keywords: Kenya, HIV/AIDS, prostitution, medical research, vaccine
Silent Killer. The Unfinished Campaign Against Hunger (DVD : 57 min. ) [2005]
DVD 7636
Abstract: There are still a billion hungry people in the world. Fifteen thousand children -- the equivalent of five times the victims of the World Trade Center bombings -- die each day of hunger. Yet it doesn't have to be this way. We can end hunger -- if we make a commitment to doing so. Silent Killer shows how it can be done. Hosted by National Public Radio's Scott Simon, the film begins in South Africa's Kalahari Desert, where razor-thin Bushmen use the Hoodia cactus to fend off hunger. But now, a drug firm has patented the Hoodia's appetite-suppressant properties and is using it to make a diet product for obese Americans and Europeans. Hoodia is a metaphor for a world where some people die from too much food, but millions more die from too little. We discover how serious the problem is in Kenya as we meet Jane Ininda, a scientist who is trying to make agriculture more productive in her country, while her own brother, Salesio, barely survives the drought, poor soils and pests that constantly threaten his crops. Through powerful stories, we come to understand the dimensions of the hunger crisis. At the World Food Summit in Rome, we learn how activists have been working to end hunger since President John Kennedy declared war on it in 1963. But today, America's commitment to food security is less clear. In fact, world financial commitments to hunger research have been declining in recent years. But Silent Killer does not leave viewers feeling helpless. A visit to Brazil finds a nation energized by a new campaign called 'Fome Zero' -- Zero Hunger. In the huge city of Belo Horizonte, we meet a remarkable leader and see how, under the programs she supervises, the right to food is guaranteed to all. In the countryside, we are introduced to the Landless Peasants' Movement, which is giving hope to millions of hungry Brazilians.
Director: Hana Jindrova and John de Graaf Distributor:Bull Frog Films
Keywords: South Africa, Kenya, Brazil, Kalahari, Bushmen, hunger, drought, food, agriculture, development
Simba (Videocassette : 99 min. ) [2005]
V.CASS. VHS 9082
Abstract: Filmed in documentary style partly in Kenya, Simba tells the story of a young Englishman's brother who has been murdered by Mau Mau terrorists. He, however, overcomes his hatred of blacks after a native physician sacrifices his life to prevent the massacre of a group of white colonists. A Peter de Sarigny production, this feature film originally released as a motion picture in 1955, with a screenplay by John Baines . This drama has also been released under the title of Mark of Mau Mau.
Director: Brian Desmond Hurst Distributor:General Film Distributors (U.K.) and Lippert Pictures (U.S.)
Keywords: Kenya, Mau Mau, drama, history, terrorism, murder, settler colonialism, feature film
Surviving in Africa (Videocassette : 55 min. ) [1994]
V. CASS. VHS 2470
Abstract: Paleo-anthropologist Don Johanson sets out to disprove that early man's larger brain and reliance on technology are the by-products of the ability to hunt. He embarks on a journey across the Serengeti savanna of East Africa to attempt to reconstruct early man's survival behaviors. He finds food not by hunting but by scavenging off the leftovers of lions and leopards. Part of the Nova television series In Search of Human Origins (see also The Creative Revolution, The Story of Lucy). Producer: Lenora Carey Johnson.
Director: NA Distributor:WGBH Educational Foundation
Keywords: Kenya, Homo erectus, fossils, human evolution, hunting
Turkana Trilogy (Videocassette : 245 min. ) [1982]
See Individual Titles
Abstract: Three films by David and Judith MacDougal: Lorang's Way [1980, 69 min], The Wedding Camels [1980, 108 min], Wife Among Wives [1982, 68 min]. See individual titles. [1980-1982]
Director: David and Judith MacDougal Distributor:University of California Extension Center for Media
Keywords: Kenya, Turkana, marriage, gender, pastoralism
Wandering Warrior (DVD : 56 min. ) [1996]
DVD 8247
Abstract: This is a unique story of a leap across cultural boundaries as a Maasai warrior from the pastoral valleys of southern Kenya adapts to life on the fast track in suburban Massachusetts. At age nineteen, Maasai warrior Mpeti Ole Surum met an American tourist on a safari in Kenya. This meeting changed his life forever. The American encouraged him to get an education and learn about the world beyond his valley. Changing his name to 'Tom,' he went to school and learned to read and write English. For several years he held different jobs at a resort, where he impressed guests by speaking about the Maasai culture. Possessed of the courage and strength needed to kill lions, he also had the talent of a natural showman. Sent abroad to encourage tourism, Tom quickly became a sought after lecturer, entertainer and talk show guest. Today he has several agents booking his performances at schools and universities across the United States. Even the most complacent high school students sit up and take notice when Tom bellows tribal incantations across the stage while dressed in full hunting regalia. A self-styled cultural ambassador, Tom also shares what he has learned of America with young Maasai. While he partakes of the bounty of American life, including Armani suits, a luxury car, and credit cards, he is still strongly attached to his tribe and its traditions.
Director: Cliff Moskow Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Kenya, Maasai, emigration, tourism
Wedding Camels (The) (Videocassette : 108 min. ) [1980]
V. CASS. VHS 2600/ DVD 8924
Abstract: An account of a marriage among the Turkana, a remote pastoral tribe of the dry thorn-country of northwestern Kenya. Shows the preparations for the wedding of the daughter of Lorang, one of the senior men of the region. Explores the quarrels and customs which surround the wedding. Shows the tensions that arise during bridewealth negotiations between the two families, and how these strain the old friendship between the bride's father and his future son-in-law. Part of Turkana Trilogy (see also Lorang's Way and Wife Among Wives). In Turkana with English subtitles. Also available in DVD format (DVD 8924).
Director: David and Judith MacDougall Distributor:University of California Extension Center for Media
Keywords: Kenya, Turkana, pastoralism, wedding, ritual, gender, marriage, family
Wedding Camels (The): A Turkana Marriage (Video Disc/Laser Vision : 108 min. ) [1976]
DVD 8924/ VHS 2600
Abstract: An account of a marriage among the Turkana, a remote pastoral tribe of the dry thorn-country of northwestern Kenya. Shows the preparations for the wedding of the daughter of Lorang, one of the senior men of the region. Explores the quarrels and customs which surround the wedding. Shows the tensions that arise during bridewealth negotiations between the two families, and how these strain the old friendship between the bride's father and his future son-in-law. Part of Turkana Trilogy (see also Lorang's Way and Wife Among Wives). In Turkana with English subtitles. Also available in videotape format (VHS 2600)
Director: David and Judith MacDougall. Distributor:Berkeley Media LLC
Keywords: Kenya, Turkana, marriage, gender, pastoralism, family, ritual
White Man's Country (Video Disc/Laser Vision : 52 min. ) [1973]
DVD 9265
Abstract: The first in a three-part series that traces Kenya's history from colonialism to independence, this film deals with the arrival of the first European settlers towards the end of the 19th century and explains how, over a period of time, the African inhabitants were deprived of much of their land. It charts the actions of the Imperial British East Africa Company and uses quotes from both official letters and private journals to reveal the motives of those who sought to make Kenya a white man's country. It also recalls the treatment the Africans received at the hands of their colonial masters and discusses the founding of the first political protest movement, led by Harry Thuku, who is one of the individuals interviewed and whose funeral in 1970 opens and closes the film. The documentary makes good use of a rare collection of photographs of the period. This film is part 1 of the Black Man's Land trilogy; see also Mau Mau (part 2) and Kenyatta (part 3).
Director: Anthony Howarth, David Koff Distributor:Cinemagician Productions
Keywords: Kenya, politics, history, colonialism, land
Who's afraid of Ngugi? (Video Disc/Laser Vision : 83 min. ) [2006]
DVD 10266
Abstract: This documentary follows acclaimed author Ngugi wa Thiong'o as he and his political activist wife Njeri journey back to Kenya after years of exile. As they are welcomed home by joyous and hopeful crowds, they also must cope with those who still find their revolutionary words and deeds threatening.
Director: Manthia Diawara Distributor:Third World Newsreel
Keywords: Kenya, Ngugi wa Thiong'o, literature, politics, exile
Wife Among Wives (Videocassette : 68 min. ) [1982]
V. CASS. VHS 2532
Abstract: An ethnographic documentary of the Turkana of northern Kenya. This is an inquiry into the Turkana view of marriage. By David and Judith MacDougall. Part of Turkana Trilogy (see also Lorang's Way and The Wedding Camels).
Director: David and Judith MacDougall Distributor:University of California Extension Center for Media
Keywords: Kenya, Turkana, gender, marriage, pastoralism
With These Hands: How Women Feed Africa (Videocassette : 33 min. ) [1987]
V. CASS.VHS 2284
Abstract: Three women tell stories of the difficult lives in the farmlands of Burkina Faso, Kenya and Zimbabwe. Producer: Chris Sheppard.
Director: Chris Sheppard, Claude Sauvageot Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Burkina Faso, Kenya, Zimbabwe, women, farming
Womanhood and Circumcision: Three Maasai Women Have Their Say (Videocassette : 30 min. ) [2002]
V. CASS VHS 7560
Abstract: This thought-provoking documentary sensitively explores the cultural context of female genital-cutting practices among the Maasai. It will stimulate discussion and reflection in a wide variety of courses in cultural anthropology, women's and gender studies, African studies, and development studies. A mother and her two daughters discuss their feelings about circumcision (excision) and its meaning in their lives. The three women discuss their experiences from the perspective of three different stages of the life cycle. Produced by Barbara G. Hoffman.
Director: NA Distributor:University of California Extension Center for Media
Keywords: Kenya, Maasai, female circumcision, women, gender, ritual
Women's Olamal (The): The Organization of a Maasai Fertility Ceremony (Videocassette : 114 min. ) [1990]
V. CASS. VHS 3964
Abstract: Discusses a fertility ceremony of the Maasai women in East Africa.
Director: Melissa Llewellyn-Davies Distributor:Documentary Educational Resources
Keywords: Kenya, women, Maasai, gender, fertility, ritual
Year of the Wildebeest (The) (Motion Picture : 55 min. ) [1976]
MP-16MM 404
Abstract: Examines the migration of millions of wildebeest in Kenya on their search for grass and water during the dry summer months. (motion picture: 2 reels, 55 min.; 2 cartridges, 55 min.)
Director: NA Distributor:NA
Keywords: Kenya, wildebeest, wildlife, environment
Page(s): 1
Africa: Search for Common Ground (Videocassette NA ) [2005]
ON-ORDER
Abstract: Seven-part series by the NGO, Search for Common Ground, which emphasizes conflict resolution, prevention and transformation. Contents: Program 1-- Thokoza Video Dialogues for Peace; Program 2 -- When Things Fall Apart (Congo), Breaking the Cycle: Domestic Violence (South Africa); Program 3 --'Reconciliation Radio (Burundi), Democracy or Disruption - Wangari Maathai and Green Belt (Kenya); Program 4 -- The Hunt for Witches (South Africa); Program 5 -- A.T. Toure and the Peace Flame (Mali), Water, Water Everywhere (Lesotho); Program 6 -- Under the Baobab Tree (South Africa), Making the Angola Peace Song (Angola); Program 7 -- Between Confession and Prosecution: Truth and Reconciliation (South Africa).
Director: NA Distributor:Search for Common Ground
Keywords: Angola, Burundi, Congo, Kenya, Lesotho, Mali, South Africa, conflict resolution, violence, TRC
Baboon Tales (Videocassette : 52 min. ) [1998]
OXFORD V.CASS.305
Abstract: Based on 26 years of fieldwork by anthropologist/primatologist Shirley Strum, this film documents social and parenting skills of baboons toward their offspring through the first year of a newborn's life during a season of drought. Accompanied by study guide.
Director: Gillian Darling Kovanic Distributor:Bullfrog Films
Keywords: Kenya, Baboons, anthropology, primatology
Benjamin and His Brother (DVD : 87 min. ) [2002]
DVD7071
Abstract: Tells the story of Benjamin and William Deng, two young Sudanese men who left Sudan in the mass exodus of boy refugees in 1987. This group became known as the Lost Boys, and in 2001, the U.S. government began a project to resettle them from the Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya to the United States. William went to Houston, Texas, and eventually was reunited with his grandmother and other relatives in Kansas City. Benjamin remained at the refugee camp and is waiting to be allowed to emigrate.
Director: Arthur Howes Distributor:Documentary Educational Resources
Keywords: Kenya, Sudan, Kakuma refugee camp, orphans, immigrants, civil war
Black Man's Land Trilogy (Videocassette : 156 min. ) [1986]
Abstract: Three films on colonialism, nationalism and revolution in Kenya: White Man's Country; Mau Mau; and Kenyatta. See individual titles for description.
Director: David Koff, Anthony Howarth Distributor:NA
Keywords: Kenya, history, settler colonialism, Mau Mau, Jomo Kenyatta, nationalism, politics
Black Man's Land Trilogy (DVD : 156 min. ) [1986]
Abstract: Three-part series of films consisting of White Man's Country (part 1), Mau Mau (part 2) and Kenyatta (part 3); all of the films combine period photographs and contemporary location footage with the testimony of African and European witnesses. The trilogy covers the violence of colonial rule, white settlement and African resistance in the story of Kenya, as the British tried to make it a 'white man's country' like South Africa or New Zealand. Land was allocated, settlers welcomed, and the 'jewel of the British empire' was born. But it was African land that was taken, African labor that was used to develop it, and African taxes that kept the colonial regime solvent. How did Africans confront this process? White Man's Country tells this story. Mau Mau traces the history of the state of emergency declared by the British Colonial government of Kenya in 1952 in an attempt to subdue the movement among black Kenyans for political and civil rights. Kenyatta offers a biographical account of Jomo Kenyatta, the man who became Kenya's national leader and who eventually led the movement to establish an independent government.
Director: David Koff, Anthony Howarth Distributor:Facets Multimedia
Keywords: Kenya, history, settler colonialism, land, history, politics
Bosnia Hotel: Kenya Warriors in Bosnia (Videocassette : 52 min. ) [1996]
V. CASS. VHS 3898
Abstract: Juxtaposed with reflections of Samburu warriors from Kenya upon their experience as part of the UN peace-keeping force in Bosnia are their traditional practices of circumcision and blood drinking.
Director: Thomas Balmès Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Kenya, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Samburu, ritual, transnationalism, army, United Nations
Chronicle of a Savanna Marriage (Videocassette : 56 min. ) [1984]
V. CASS. VHS 3816
Abstract: A unique view of the life and culture of the Maasai people in Kenya and Tanzania.
Director: Stig Holmqvist Distributor:MGM Home Entertainment
Keywords: East Africa, Maasai, marriage, gender, pastoralism
Continent that Overslept: Africa, The (DVD : 58 min. ) [2005]
DVD 8285
Abstract: The award-winning investigative team of Heilbuth and Bulow (Battle of the Titans) produced this thoroughly researched program with a bold disregard for political correctness. They met with a new generation of African businessmen and intellectuals who addressed the appalling lack of progress. These Africans are outraged at the widening gap between the rich heads of state and poor subjects; the lack of a work ethic among African workers; and the fact that famine still claims so many lives when Africa could easily feed itself. The film shows that Africa is a rich area: it has 70% of the world's cobalt reserves; 46% of its diamonds; 44% of its chrome; and great hydroelectric power potential. Contrary to popular belief, Africa is not densely populated. The young, educated Africans feel that colonialism and the rich countries of the world can no longer be blamed for all the ills of Africa. As one African journalist says, 'It is unfortunate and shameful to see Africa with all her potential, always turning to the West and saying 'Give us this, give us that.' A young Kenyan businessman says he is embarrassed by an economy built on aid. Yet, he believes that a change is taking place across Africa and 'we have to take our place amongst the nations.'
Director: Poul Erik Heilbuth and Hans Bulow Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: economy, politics, government, development
Crossroads (Videocassette : 55 min. ) [1996]
V. CASS. VHS 3801
Abstract: The location is a crossing of roads leading from Uganda into Tanzania and from Kenya via Rwanda to Zaire. Some years ago, Mama Shillingi started her 'hotelli' at the crossroads. She offered food and shelter to truck drivers. Until, in 1994, thousands of dead bodies came floating down the nearby Kagera river. Shortly thereafter, the refugees came across the border. Within a few days, half a million people had settled there. Around a hamlet of four houses, a boom town arose called Benaco.
Director: Hillie Molenaar and Joop van Wijk Distributor:First Run/Icarus
Keywords: East Africa, Rwanda, refugees, genocide, social life
Day I Will Never Forget (The) (Videocassette : 90 min. ) [2002]
V.CASS. VHS 8108
Abstract: Examines the practice of female genital mutilation in Kenya and the pioneering African women who are bravely reversing the tradition.
Director: Kim Longinotto Distributor:Women Make Movies
Keywords: Kenya, women, female genital surgeries, circumcision
Diary of a Maasai Village (Videocassette : 300 min. ) [1984]
V. CASS. VHS 3960 pt. 1-5
Abstract: A study of life in a Maasai village as a representation of the Maasai people in Kenya. An attempt to describe a moment in the history of the Laibon's family. (5 videocassettes: 300 min.)
Director: Melissa Llewellyn-Davies Distributor:Documentary Educational Resources
Keywords: Kenya, Maasai, social life, family, ritual experts
Flip-Flotsam (DVD : 26 min. ) [2003]
DVD 8239
Abstract: This beautifully photographed, charming documentary traces the fantastic journey of Africa's most popular shoes: the flip-flop. Easily bought, quickly discarded, for Westerners the flip-flop stands as a symbol of the summer holiday. But in its African homeland, it has a unique life cycle, and their story reveals much about Africa¹s economy and culture. The flip-flops' journey begins in the factories of Mombasa, where 20 million pairs a year are made. Cheap and colorful, they have become an integral part of Swahili dress and are everywhere: aboard dhows and donkeys, bearing loads and left waiting for their owners on mosque door steps. Worn-out ones are taken to the cobblers who specialize in flip-flop maintenance. But some are too damaged to repair and are discarded. Every May, the monsoon rains wash rubbish into the ocean where the flip-flops' buoyancy allows them to host barnacles and crabs. Finally they come to rest further down the African coast. The colorful debris is prized by vilagers who ingeniously carve the flip-flops into toys and mobiles, fuelling a new cottage industry that provides precious income for many families. Newly transformed, the flip-flops are transported back to the shop-lined shores of Mombasa -- where their journey first began.
Director: Etienne Oliff Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Kenya, Mombasa, Swahili, economy, clothing, recycled products, crafts
Freedom Now, 1947 (Videocassette : 56 min. ) [1998]
V. CASS. VHS 4210
Abstract: In 1947, 160 years of British rule came to an end as India became the world's largest democracy, inspiring the fight for freedom on another continent. This film talks with the people who witnessed and participated in the struggle for independence in India and Africa. While Mohandas Gandhi showed the world how the masses could successfully defy their imperial masters, his example spurred others on: European empires in Africa and Asia began to crumble, and in short order, Ghana, Kenya, Algeria, Mozambique, and dozens more would win their freedom.
Director: Jennifer Clayton Distributor:WGBH Boston Video
Keywords: Ghana, Kenya, Algeria, Mozambique, history, Gandhi, politics, colonialism
Ghost and the Darkness (The) (DVD : 109 min. ) [1998]
DVD 3992
Abstract: Two lions on a man-eating rampage have shut down the construction of a railway in 1896 East Africa. The beasts hunt together, showing no fear of man or fire. What's more, they're killing for sport rather than for food--and they have an almost supernatural knack for knowing what traps await them. Big-game hunter Remington and construction engineer Patterson set out to stop these unstoppable monsters. But, in this astonishing tale of man against beast, the hunters become the hunted.
Director: Stephen Hopkins Distributor:Paramount
Keywords: Kenya, East Africa, feature film
Great Wonder (A): Lost Children of Sudan (DVD : 61 min. ) [2004]
DVD 7676
Abstract: More than 2 million Sudanese have died in the longest uninterrupted civil war in the world, now in its 20th year. Another 5 million civilians have fled their homes to escape the fighting. A Great Wonder traces the extraordinary journey of three young Sudanese orphans, a fraction of the 17,000 so-called 'Lost Boys' of Sudan, who have spent the majority of their lives either in flight from war or in refugee camps in Ethiopia and Northern Kenya. Having navigated the hazards of warfare, disease and starvation, their arrival and resettlement in Seattle, Washington is not your average immigration story. Over the course of 18 months, these youths have recorded their own experiences through their own eyes and in their own words using digital video cameras. The resulting diaries serve as a personal thread throughout the film, incorporating first-hand accounts of their experiences in war with their radically different lives as immigrants in America. A story of survival in its most elemental form, A Great Wonder explores the concepts of loss, faith, community and freedom as it bears witness to the spirit that drives these young people to rebuild their lives.
Director: Kim Shelton Distributor:Bull Frog Films
Keywords: Sudan, refugees, immigrants, children, war, resettlement
In Search of Bin Laden (Videocassette : 60 min. ) [2001]
V. CASS. VHS 6528
Abstract: Investigates Osama bin Laden, his followers, and the bombings of two United States embassies in Africa in 1998. This special edition of the television show Frontline has been updated to cover the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, of which bin Laden is also accused.
Director: Martin Smith Distributor:PBS Video
Keywords: Kenya, Tanzania, terrorists, bombings, politics, history
Kenya, Where Women Rule (DVD : 20 min. ) [2006]
DVD 8230
Abstract: Domestic violence against women is rife among the Samburu in Kenya. In Samburu culture, the women also do all the work, including building the homes, herding, collecting firewood and water and caring for the children. In the 1980s and 90s, two hundred women from the tribe claimed they were raped by men from a nearby British army base. The Samburu men rejected them, whipped them and threw them out of their homes. In 1990 a small group of these stigmatized women decided to band together and create their own village. Under the leadership of one woman, Rebecca Lollosoli, their village has prospered, taking advantage of the income from tourism. The Samburu men have tried to sabotage the tourist business and have also mounted raids on the village. Finally, the Samburu men's chief tried to effect a reconciliation, but the women vehemently rejected his proposal. They are clearly enjoying the advantages of independence!
Director: Stormland Productions Distributor:NA
Keywords: Kenya, Samburu, women, economy, rape, tourism
Kenyatta (Videocassette : 52 min. ) [1979]
V.CASS. VHS 8855/ DVD 9267
Abstract: Jomo Kenyatta's death in 1978 brought to an end a political career that encompassed more than 50 years of African history. Kenyatta entered politics in the mid-1920s and then spent 17 years in exile in Europe. He returned to Kenya in 1946, and in 1947 took over leadership of the Kenya African Union. Arrested and imprisoned in 1952 in the wake of the mau mau uprising, he was released in 1961 and two years later became Kenya's first Prime Minister. In power, the man whom Europeans had once reviled as 'the leader to darkness and death' was eulogized by them as a pillar of stability. This film weaves archival and contemporary images with interviews with friends and relatives, comrades and opponents to create a biographical portrait of a key figure in 20th century politics, and a case study of nationalism as a political force in Africa. Also available in DVD format (DVD 9267). This film is part 3 of the Black Man's Land trilogy; see also White Man's Country (part 1) and Mau Mau (part 2).
Director: David Koff, Anthony Howarth Distributor:Bellwether Group
Keywords: Kenya, Jomo Kenyatta, history, settler colonialism, politics, nationalism, biography
Kenyatta (Video Disc/Laser Vision : 52 min. ) [1973]
DVD 9267/ VHS 8855
Abstract: Jomo Kenyatta's death in 1978 brought to an end a political career that encompassed more than 50 years of African history. Kenyatta entered politics in the mid-1920s and then spent 17 years in exile in Europe. He returned to Kenya in 1946, and in 1947 took over leadership of the Kenya African Union. Arrested and imprisoned in 1952 in the wake of the mau mau uprising, he was released in 1961 and two years later became Kenya's first Prime Minister. In power, the man whom Europeans had once reviled as 'the leader to darkness and death' was eulogized by them as a pillar of stability. This film weaves archival and contemporary images with interviews with friends and relatives, comrades and opponents to create a biographical portrait of a key figure in 20th century politics, and a case study of nationalism as a political force in Africa. Also available in videocassette format (VHS 8855). This film is part 3 of the Black Man's Land trilogy; see also White Man's Country (part 1) and Mau Mau (part 2).
Director: Anthony Howarth and David Koff Distributor:Cinemagician Productions
Keywords: Kenya, Jomo Kenyatta, politics, history, biography, colonialism, nationalism
Kitchen Toto (The) (Video Disc/Laser Vision : 96 min. ) [1987]
V. DISC 1515
Abstract: Set in 1950 Kenya as British rule was being threatened by Mau Mau terrorists. A young Kikuyu boy is torn between the British for whom he works and the guerrilla freedom fighters who want him to join them. Complex and powerful story of the Kenyan freedom crusade. Director/Author: Harry Hook.
Director: Harry Hook Distributor:Warner Home Video
Keywords: Kenya, colonialism, history, Mau Mau, feature film
Left Behind (Videocassette : 36 min. ) [2002]
VHS 9155
Abstract: Left Behind is a 36-minute documentary that reveals the devastating effects of AIDS on Kenya's children by exploring the lives of HIV-positive orphans at Nyumbani Children's Home; why the virus spreads in the poverty-ridden slum of Kibera; and the struggle for survival of homeless children in nearby Dagoretti who lost their parents to AIDS. Through the eyes and voices of the children themselves, as well as prostitutes, slum dwellers and those infected with HIV, Left Behind dramatically exposes the enormity of the challenge that faces all those who seek to help the victims and prevent the collapse of a continent.
Director: Christof Putzel Distributor:www.films.com
Keywords: Kenya, HIV/AIDS, children, orphans, homelessness
Living in Africa: African Solutions to African Problems (DVD : 150 min. ) [1995]
See individual titles
Abstract: Series of five films (each 30 minutes):
l. Maasai in the Modern World - Kenya: This film looks at the impact of the modern world on the ancient culture of the Maasai people. Traditionally the Maasai herded their cattle between the plains and the well -watered mountain land. As tourism makes inroads on their already scarce land, they are trying to adapt without losing their heritage. DVD 8904
2. The Survival Age - Tanzania: Tanzania illustrates some of the problems of development and the environmental crisis. The economists featured are critical of Western ideas about progress. The film reflects on the failure of both socialism and capitalism in this country and explains the need to overcome the legacy of colonialism. DVD 8905
3. This Virus That Has No Cure - Zambia: Worldwide there are over 17 million people infected with the AIDS virus and an estimated ten million live in Africa. The problem is placing a serious strain on the Zambian health system. The film explores ways in which the community is uniting to fight back, caring for sufferers and educating about prevention. DVD 8906
4. The Riches of Elephants - Zimbabwe: The Campfire project is a highly successful program for both wildlife conservation and social development. The local community is allowed to sell safaris or hunting rights on public land reserves. The profit is used for development projects such as fences, schools, and individual households. DVD 8907
5. A Land of Immense Riches -Mozambique:
Once devastated by war, Mozambique now offers positive models for bio-diversity, community conservation and eco-tourism. We meet members of the local community who are working with the conservation authorities to educate people about sustainable harvesting and many other ways of protecting the environment. DVD 8908
Director:
Mark Newman
Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords:
Lorang's Way (Videocassette : 69 min. ) [1980]
V. CASS. VHS 2503
Abstract: A multifaceted portrait of Lorang, the head of a Turkana homestead, a society of semi-nomadic, isolated herders who inhabit the dry thorn country of northwestern Kenya. Lorang has begun to recognize that his society is vulnerable to change from the outside. Part of Turkana Trilogy (see also The Wedding Camels and Wife among Wives).
Director: David and Judith MacDougall Distributor:University of California Extension Center for Media
Keywords: Kenya, Turkana, pastoralists
Lost Boys of Sudan (DVD : 170 min. ) [2003]
DVD 4505
Abstract: Follows two Sudanese refugees on an extraordinary journey from Africa to America. Orphaned as young boys in one of Africa's cruelest civil wars, Peter Dut and Santino Chuor survived lion attacks and militia gunfire to reach a refugee camp in Kenya along with thousands of other children. From there, remarkably, they were chosen to come to America. Safe at last from physical danger and hunger, a world away from home, they find themselves confronted with the abundance and alienation of contemporary American suburbia. Disc one includes an 87-minute version of this film, disc two has a 55-minute version of the film, special features and five additional video segments.
Director: Megan Mylan Distributor:Lost Boys of Sudan
Keywords: Sudan, United States, civil war, refugees
Maasai and Agents of Change (The) (Videocassette : 32 min. ) [2001]
V. CASS. VHS 6294
Abstract: A rare opportunity to see life among the Maasai as filmed by one of their own warriors. The filmmaker and narrator is a Maasai who is studying at a United States college. He returned to Kenya to film the lifestyles and colorful ceremonies of his people before their culture becomes extinct. We learn that the traditional pastoral and nomadic life is under attack by outside forces who want to impose a money economy and privatize the land.
Director: Kakuta Ole Maimai Hamisi Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Kenya, Maasai, pastoralism
Mama Wahunzi: Women Blacksmiths (Videocassette : 57 min. ) [2002]
V.CASS. VHS 8049
Abstract: A documentary on women and other citizens in Uganda and Kenya who face life with disabilities and without tools like wheelchairs, which would enable them to lead fuller lives. Through the efforts of some women, the wheelchair industry is now able to make the lives of citizens and in particular women more productive, by supplying these tools.
Director: Lawan Jirasuradej Distributor:Women Make Movies
Keywords: Uganda, Kenya, women, disability, economy
Maragoli (Videocassette : 58 min. ) [1992]
V. CASS. VHS 1823
Abstract: A documentary in which the villagers of the Maragoli region in Kenya describe their reaction to 'development' by explaining their aspirations, why they have so many children and why they fear the destruction of their traditional ways. Portrays the interlocking problems of high fertility rates, land scarcity, lack of education and employment and migration.
Director: NA Distributor:Sandra Nichols Production
Keywords: Kenya, Luhya, development, fertility, migration
Masai Manhood (Videocassette : 53 min. ) [1991]
V. CASS. VHS 4598
Abstract: An ethnographic view of Maasai culture and society, focusing on the preparation of young Maasai boys for manhood and leadership in their society. Follows the seven years of transition in which the boys serve as warriors and learn about survival and the outside world, as dictated by their elders. Consultant: Melissa Llewellyn-Davies. [1991 (orig. 1970s)]
Director: Chris Curling Distributor:Films Inc.
Keywords: Kenya, Maasai, education, gender, ritual
Masai Women (Videocassette : 52 min. ) [1990]
V. CASS. VHS 2083
Abstract: An ethnographic view of Maasai culture and society, focusing on the preparation of young Maasai girls for marriage and life in their society. Probes, through a candid interview with an older woman, the feelings of the Maasai women about polygamy and their inability to own property. Anthropologist: Melissa Llewellyn-Davies.
Director: Chris Curling Distributor:Films Inc.
Keywords: Kenya, Maasai, marriage, gender
Mau Mau (Video Disc/Laser Vision : 52 min. ) [1973]
DVD 9266
Abstract: In October 1952 the British government declared a State of Emergency in Kenya in order to defeat Mau Mau. In the war that followed, fewer than 40 of 40,000 white settlers were killed while more than 15,000 Africans lost their lives and hundreds of thousands more were arrested and subjected to a humiliating and often brutal process of 'rehabilitation.' Mau Mau traces the history of the state of emergency declared by the British Colonial government of Kenya in 1952 in an attempt to subdue the movement among black Kenyans for political and civil rights. Reveals the secret society known as Mau Mau to have been an attempt by the white minority to discredit the rising tide of black nationalism. Using newsreel and previously inaccessible archive footage, and drawing on interviews with participants on both sides, this film examines the myth and reality of Africa's first modern guerrilla war. This film is part 2 of the Black Man's Land trilogy; see also White Man's Country (part 1) and Kenyatta (part 3).
Director: David Koff, Anthony Howarth Distributor:NA
Keywords: Kenya, Mau Mau, history, colonialism, politics, settlers, nationalism, violence, war
Nawi (Videocassette : 23 min. ) [1970]
V. CASS. VHS 2971
Abstract: Depicts a segment of the life of the Jie, a semi-nomadic people from northeastern Uganda. Follows their move to northwestern Kenya during the dry seasons from their homestead to a temporary camp (nawi) where grass is plentiful for their cattle. By David and Judith MacDougal. Part of Jie Trilogy (see also To Live With Herds and Under the Men's Tree).
Director: David and Judith MacDougal Distributor:University of California Extension Center for Media
Keywords: Uganda, Jie, pastoralists
Nirgendwo in Afrika = Nowhere in Africa (DVD : 135 min. ) [2002]
DVD 2290
Abstract: The German Jewish Redlich family flees in 1938 to Kenya, where husband and lawyer Walter finds work as a manager on a farm. While his wife Jettel struggles with their new life and its challenges threaten their marriage, their once shy daughter Regina blossoms. The film follws their efforts to adjust to the different cultures around them and the challenges that they face during the War. After the War is over Walter is offered a position as a judge in Frankfurt. After so many years in Kenya, should he go back and will his family go with him?
Director: Caroline Link Distributor:MC One
Keywords: Germany, Kenya, Jews, settlers, WWII, Holocaust, feature film
No Easy Walk (Videocassette : 53 min. ) [1987]
V. CASS. VHS 3974 v. 1-3
Abstract: Chronicles how Ethiopia, Kenya, and Zimbabwe were subdued by colonial powers and later achieved independence from their oppressors.
Director: Bernard Odjija Distributor:Cinema Guild
Keywords: Ethiopia, Kenya, Zimbabwe, colonialism, history, politics
Orphans of Mathare (Videocassette : 62 min. ) [2003]
V.CASS. VHS 7911
Abstract: Documents the lives of former street children, many orphaned by HIV/AIDS, now living at the Good Samaritan Children's Home, an orphanage and school run by Mercy Thuo in the Mathare Slum of Nairobi, Kenya. By following the lives of several orphans, the film lays bare the complicated relationship between poverty, violence, disease, Christianity, tradition and the orphan crisis in Sub-Saharan Africa. Reveals that global AIDS is not simply a medical crisis but a socio-cultural one as well that threatens to create a generation of children without parents.
Director: Randy Bell Distributor:University of California Extension Center for Media
Keywords: Kenya, HIV/AIDS, orphans, poverty
Our Developing World: Studies in Regional Political Geography (Videocassette : 241 min. ) [1996]
IN-PROCESS
Abstract: Each video of this series presents the political geography of a certain region. Topics frequently reviewed for each region are economic development, education, politics, cultural geography, and other subject areas. Produced by the Information Department of the United Nations Developmental Programme with the support of UNICEF and PROWESS. Ten videocassettes (volumes five through seven concern African nations): (v. 1) Central America: Costa Rica; (v. 2) Central America: Cuba; (v. 3) South America: Brazil; (v. 4) South America: Paraguay; (v. 5) Africa: Tunisia, Libya, Egypt; (v. 6) Africa: Sierra Leone, Ghana, Kenya; (v. 7) Africa: Tanzania, Mozambique, Lesotho; (v. 8) Asia: Mongolia, China, Nepal; (v. 9) Asia: Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam; (v. 10) South Pacific/Oceania: The Philippines, Kiribati.
Director: Josy Dubie Distributor:Films for the Humanities & Sciences
Keywords: Costa Rica, Cuba, Brazil, Paraguay, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Lesotho, Mongolia, China, Nepal, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Oceania, the Philippines, Kiribati, politics, history, economics
Our Developing World: Studies in Regional Political Geography: Vol. 6. Africa: Sierra Leone, Ghana, Kenya (Videocassette : 26 min. ) [1996]
IN-PROCESS
Abstract: Each video of this series presents the political geography of a certain region. Topics frequently reviewed for each region are economic development, education, politics, cultural geography, and other subject areas. Produced by the Information Department of the United Nations Developmental Programme with the support of UNICEF and PROWESS.
Director: Josy Dubie Distributor:Films for the Humanities & Sciences
Keywords: Sierra Leone, Ghana, Kenya, politics, history, economics
Out of Africa (Video Disc/Laser Vision : 161 min. ) [1986]
V. DISC. 951
Abstract: The true story of Karen Blixen, a strong-willed woman who, with her philandering husband, runs a coffee plantation in Kenya, circa 1914. To her astonishment she soon discovers herself falling in love with the land, its people and the mysterious white hunter. Producer/Director: Sydney Pollack. 2 videodiscs/laser version
Director: Sydney Pollack Distributor:MCA Home Video
Keywords: Kenya, colonialism, feature film
Race Against Time: The AIDS Crisis in Africa (DVD : 48 min. ) [2002]
DVD 8057
Abstract: The AIDS crisis in Africa is an epidemic of staggering proportions. Thirty-six million people are infected with the HIV virus worldwide, with over 25 million of them in Africa, and a staggering number of Africans -- 17 million -- have died. This film is about the inspiring work of Canadian Stephen Lewis, the United Nations Special Envoy on HIV/AIDS in Africa as he searches for solutions to the pandemic ravaging the continent. Lewis describes the 'Herculean effort' that has begun to relieve the suffering. A global trust fund has been set up through the United Nations, which has grown to $1.5 billion. Drug companies have slashed their prices for anti-viral drugs for Africans, and there is now hope for the dying. After years of denial, there is now a new willingness on the part of African leaders to confront the disease. Lewis travels to Zambia and Kenya witnessing the challenges first hand as he talks to widows of AIDS victims, who are often infected themselves. In many instances, these ill women must care for their deceased relatives' children as well as their own, despite their desperate financial situation. On the plus side, he finds many creative, community-based educational programs that feature preventive 'safe sex' songs, dances and dramas.
Director: Stephen Lewis Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Kenya, Zambia, HIV/AIDS, United Nations, politics, health, performance
Searching for Hawa's Secret (Videocassette : 47 min. ) [1999]
VHS 9227
Abstract: Hawa Chelangat is a 37-year old prostitute who supports her five children through commercial sex. She met Frank Plummer, a Canadian microbiologist from the University of Manitoba, in a grim shanty town outside Nairobi. He had come to Kenya in 1981, before AIDS. The AIDS epidemic did not bring him to Africa, but it kept him there, searching for a vaccine. Since 1983 the center of Plummer's research has taken place at a clinic for female sex workers in the Nairobi slum where Hawa lives. In 1993 Plummer discovered that among the hundreds of women who came to his clinic, a small percentage of them, like Hawa, did not become infected with HIV. He became convinced that this apparent immunity was more than luck, that something in the immune women's bodies was preventing infection. A vaccine for the dreaded disease might emerge by duplicating whatever it was that seemed to make this small group of women immune. As this startling observation began to attract international attention, Plummer decided to study not the sick, but those women who stayed well, the women whose bodies held the secret. Searching for Hawa's Secret tells the remarkable story of the scientific quest to prevent rather than cure: a difficult endeavor when vaccine research gets only 1% of AIDS research funding globally. Despite funding inequities the work in Nairobi has shifted the paradigm of AIDS research, and has scientists across the globe seeking and finding similar groups with the natural immunity. It is also the human story of an unlikely partnership between a Canadian doctor and a Kenyan prostitute.
Director: Larry Krotz Distributor:First Run/Icarus Films
Keywords: Kenya, HIV/AIDS, prostitution, medical research, vaccine
Silent Killer. The Unfinished Campaign Against Hunger (DVD : 57 min. ) [2005]
DVD 7636
Abstract: There are still a billion hungry people in the world. Fifteen thousand children -- the equivalent of five times the victims of the World Trade Center bombings -- die each day of hunger. Yet it doesn't have to be this way. We can end hunger -- if we make a commitment to doing so. Silent Killer shows how it can be done. Hosted by National Public Radio's Scott Simon, the film begins in South Africa's Kalahari Desert, where razor-thin Bushmen use the Hoodia cactus to fend off hunger. But now, a drug firm has patented the Hoodia's appetite-suppressant properties and is using it to make a diet product for obese Americans and Europeans. Hoodia is a metaphor for a world where some people die from too much food, but millions more die from too little. We discover how serious the problem is in Kenya as we meet Jane Ininda, a scientist who is trying to make agriculture more productive in her country, while her own brother, Salesio, barely survives the drought, poor soils and pests that constantly threaten his crops. Through powerful stories, we come to understand the dimensions of the hunger crisis. At the World Food Summit in Rome, we learn how activists have been working to end hunger since President John Kennedy declared war on it in 1963. But today, America's commitment to food security is less clear. In fact, world financial commitments to hunger research have been declining in recent years. But Silent Killer does not leave viewers feeling helpless. A visit to Brazil finds a nation energized by a new campaign called 'Fome Zero' -- Zero Hunger. In the huge city of Belo Horizonte, we meet a remarkable leader and see how, under the programs she supervises, the right to food is guaranteed to all. In the countryside, we are introduced to the Landless Peasants' Movement, which is giving hope to millions of hungry Brazilians.
Director: Hana Jindrova and John de Graaf Distributor:Bull Frog Films
Keywords: South Africa, Kenya, Brazil, Kalahari, Bushmen, hunger, drought, food, agriculture, development
Simba (Videocassette : 99 min. ) [2005]
V.CASS. VHS 9082
Abstract: Filmed in documentary style partly in Kenya, Simba tells the story of a young Englishman's brother who has been murdered by Mau Mau terrorists. He, however, overcomes his hatred of blacks after a native physician sacrifices his life to prevent the massacre of a group of white colonists. A Peter de Sarigny production, this feature film originally released as a motion picture in 1955, with a screenplay by John Baines . This drama has also been released under the title of Mark of Mau Mau.
Director: Brian Desmond Hurst Distributor:General Film Distributors (U.K.) and Lippert Pictures (U.S.)
Keywords: Kenya, Mau Mau, drama, history, terrorism, murder, settler colonialism, feature film
Surviving in Africa (Videocassette : 55 min. ) [1994]
V. CASS. VHS 2470
Abstract: Paleo-anthropologist Don Johanson sets out to disprove that early man's larger brain and reliance on technology are the by-products of the ability to hunt. He embarks on a journey across the Serengeti savanna of East Africa to attempt to reconstruct early man's survival behaviors. He finds food not by hunting but by scavenging off the leftovers of lions and leopards. Part of the Nova television series In Search of Human Origins (see also The Creative Revolution, The Story of Lucy). Producer: Lenora Carey Johnson.
Director: NA Distributor:WGBH Educational Foundation
Keywords: Kenya, Homo erectus, fossils, human evolution, hunting
Turkana Trilogy (Videocassette : 245 min. ) [1982]
See Individual Titles
Abstract: Three films by David and Judith MacDougal: Lorang's Way [1980, 69 min], The Wedding Camels [1980, 108 min], Wife Among Wives [1982, 68 min]. See individual titles. [1980-1982]
Director: David and Judith MacDougal Distributor:University of California Extension Center for Media
Keywords: Kenya, Turkana, marriage, gender, pastoralism
Wandering Warrior (DVD : 56 min. ) [1996]
DVD 8247
Abstract: This is a unique story of a leap across cultural boundaries as a Maasai warrior from the pastoral valleys of southern Kenya adapts to life on the fast track in suburban Massachusetts. At age nineteen, Maasai warrior Mpeti Ole Surum met an American tourist on a safari in Kenya. This meeting changed his life forever. The American encouraged him to get an education and learn about the world beyond his valley. Changing his name to 'Tom,' he went to school and learned to read and write English. For several years he held different jobs at a resort, where he impressed guests by speaking about the Maasai culture. Possessed of the courage and strength needed to kill lions, he also had the talent of a natural showman. Sent abroad to encourage tourism, Tom quickly became a sought after lecturer, entertainer and talk show guest. Today he has several agents booking his performances at schools and universities across the United States. Even the most complacent high school students sit up and take notice when Tom bellows tribal incantations across the stage while dressed in full hunting regalia. A self-styled cultural ambassador, Tom also shares what he has learned of America with young Maasai. While he partakes of the bounty of American life, including Armani suits, a luxury car, and credit cards, he is still strongly attached to his tribe and its traditions.
Director: Cliff Moskow Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Kenya, Maasai, emigration, tourism
Wedding Camels (The) (Videocassette : 108 min. ) [1980]
V. CASS. VHS 2600/ DVD 8924
Abstract: An account of a marriage among the Turkana, a remote pastoral tribe of the dry thorn-country of northwestern Kenya. Shows the preparations for the wedding of the daughter of Lorang, one of the senior men of the region. Explores the quarrels and customs which surround the wedding. Shows the tensions that arise during bridewealth negotiations between the two families, and how these strain the old friendship between the bride's father and his future son-in-law. Part of Turkana Trilogy (see also Lorang's Way and Wife Among Wives). In Turkana with English subtitles. Also available in DVD format (DVD 8924).
Director: David and Judith MacDougall Distributor:University of California Extension Center for Media
Keywords: Kenya, Turkana, pastoralism, wedding, ritual, gender, marriage, family
Wedding Camels (The): A Turkana Marriage (Video Disc/Laser Vision : 108 min. ) [1976]
DVD 8924/ VHS 2600
Abstract: An account of a marriage among the Turkana, a remote pastoral tribe of the dry thorn-country of northwestern Kenya. Shows the preparations for the wedding of the daughter of Lorang, one of the senior men of the region. Explores the quarrels and customs which surround the wedding. Shows the tensions that arise during bridewealth negotiations between the two families, and how these strain the old friendship between the bride's father and his future son-in-law. Part of Turkana Trilogy (see also Lorang's Way and Wife Among Wives). In Turkana with English subtitles. Also available in videotape format (VHS 2600)
Director: David and Judith MacDougall. Distributor:Berkeley Media LLC
Keywords: Kenya, Turkana, marriage, gender, pastoralism, family, ritual
White Man's Country (Video Disc/Laser Vision : 52 min. ) [1973]
DVD 9265
Abstract: The first in a three-part series that traces Kenya's history from colonialism to independence, this film deals with the arrival of the first European settlers towards the end of the 19th century and explains how, over a period of time, the African inhabitants were deprived of much of their land. It charts the actions of the Imperial British East Africa Company and uses quotes from both official letters and private journals to reveal the motives of those who sought to make Kenya a white man's country. It also recalls the treatment the Africans received at the hands of their colonial masters and discusses the founding of the first political protest movement, led by Harry Thuku, who is one of the individuals interviewed and whose funeral in 1970 opens and closes the film. The documentary makes good use of a rare collection of photographs of the period. This film is part 1 of the Black Man's Land trilogy; see also Mau Mau (part 2) and Kenyatta (part 3).
Director: Anthony Howarth, David Koff Distributor:Cinemagician Productions
Keywords: Kenya, politics, history, colonialism, land
Who's afraid of Ngugi? (Video Disc/Laser Vision : 83 min. ) [2006]
DVD 10266
Abstract: This documentary follows acclaimed author Ngugi wa Thiong'o as he and his political activist wife Njeri journey back to Kenya after years of exile. As they are welcomed home by joyous and hopeful crowds, they also must cope with those who still find their revolutionary words and deeds threatening.
Director: Manthia Diawara Distributor:Third World Newsreel
Keywords: Kenya, Ngugi wa Thiong'o, literature, politics, exile
Wife Among Wives (Videocassette : 68 min. ) [1982]
V. CASS. VHS 2532
Abstract: An ethnographic documentary of the Turkana of northern Kenya. This is an inquiry into the Turkana view of marriage. By David and Judith MacDougall. Part of Turkana Trilogy (see also Lorang's Way and The Wedding Camels).
Director: David and Judith MacDougall Distributor:University of California Extension Center for Media
Keywords: Kenya, Turkana, gender, marriage, pastoralism
With These Hands: How Women Feed Africa (Videocassette : 33 min. ) [1987]
V. CASS.VHS 2284
Abstract: Three women tell stories of the difficult lives in the farmlands of Burkina Faso, Kenya and Zimbabwe. Producer: Chris Sheppard.
Director: Chris Sheppard, Claude Sauvageot Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Burkina Faso, Kenya, Zimbabwe, women, farming
Womanhood and Circumcision: Three Maasai Women Have Their Say (Videocassette : 30 min. ) [2002]
V. CASS VHS 7560
Abstract: This thought-provoking documentary sensitively explores the cultural context of female genital-cutting practices among the Maasai. It will stimulate discussion and reflection in a wide variety of courses in cultural anthropology, women's and gender studies, African studies, and development studies. A mother and her two daughters discuss their feelings about circumcision (excision) and its meaning in their lives. The three women discuss their experiences from the perspective of three different stages of the life cycle. Produced by Barbara G. Hoffman.
Director: NA Distributor:University of California Extension Center for Media
Keywords: Kenya, Maasai, female circumcision, women, gender, ritual
Women's Olamal (The): The Organization of a Maasai Fertility Ceremony (Videocassette : 114 min. ) [1990]
V. CASS. VHS 3964
Abstract: Discusses a fertility ceremony of the Maasai women in East Africa.
Director: Melissa Llewellyn-Davies Distributor:Documentary Educational Resources
Keywords: Kenya, women, Maasai, gender, fertility, ritual
Year of the Wildebeest (The) (Motion Picture : 55 min. ) [1976]
MP-16MM 404
Abstract: Examines the migration of millions of wildebeest in Kenya on their search for grass and water during the dry summer months. (motion picture: 2 reels, 55 min.; 2 cartridges, 55 min.)
Director: NA Distributor:NA
Keywords: Kenya, wildebeest, wildlife, environment
September 16, 2008: Geoffrey Nyarota
