When: Tuesday, October 29, 2024, 7:00 PM - 10:00 PMWhere: BLOC Cinema, ArtsOne, Mile End
Unresolved historical injustices and a devastating drought raise the stakes in a conflict between indigenous farmers and white landowners
In celebration of Black History Month, The New Black Film Collective presents a screening of -
THE BATTLE FOR LAIKIPIA (2024)
In Kenya's Laikipia County, climate change, alongside unresolved historical injustices, escalate tensions in a long-standing dispute between the region's Indigenous pastoralists and white ranchers.
Severe droughts have intensified the conflict over the use of Laikipia’s historically rich but declining grassland – an issue deeply embedded in the country’s colonial past. Filmmakers Daphne Matziaraki and Peter Murimi set out to understand both sides of the fight, from the pastoralist herding community struggling to feed their cattle to the white owners of the county’s private ranches who are determined to guard their territory. A complex picture emerges of a region in crisis, with the filmmakers navigating the tensions around the livelihoods of Indigenous farmers, land ownership, wildlife conservation, national politics, and the bitter legacy of British settler rule. The Battle for Laikipia provides a poignant and unflinching examination of the increasingly contentious issues surrounding land and power in an era of profound climate change.
Content Guidance: Film contains scene depicting animal death.
Guardian Review ****
Dir: Peter Murimi, Daphne Matziaraki
Cert: 12A
Dur: 1h 34 mins
Q&A: TBC
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Admission is on a first come, first served basis.
This film is suitable for general viewing, but some scenes may be unsuitable for young children.
This screening is part of The New Black Film Collective and London’s Screen Archive’s project ‘Undocumented’ delivered with the support of the BFI, awarding National Lottery Funding and Tower Hamlets Council.