Everyone has a story to tell. Some stories are far more interesting to hear than others, but ask ourselves this: is our story worth reading, does our story make a difference in this world, or is our story even worth being told? As many people continue digging their own graves and bringing their story to an end, Wangari Maathai tells us her story on how she is fighting to keep our world prosperous and alive in the documentary Taking Root: The Vision of Wangari Maathai. This documentary is an example of a vision we should seek out to make the world we live in a better place, to make our story matter.
In this documentary the audience learns about Ms. Maathai's life and of many of her achievements. The audience gains knowledge about how she became the successful woman she is known to be today. The documentary explains Wangari's educational journey and how she began as a child in Nyeri, Kenya. Her educational journey ended with her receiving a PhD from the University College of Nairobi. Her story then brought the audience to see how she came to be awarded with the Noble Peace Prize through her hard work and dedication to a cause. Her story is an inspiration of how just one woman can start a movement and have it grow into something far more meaningful. Ms. Maathai began a movement known as the Green Belt Movement, an organization for women who live in rural areas to come together and plant trees to help with the current living conditions. This movement gained great momentum as the women and families who participated in it came together and found many root causes to deforestation, poverty, and political oppression. Therefore, they felt empowered as a group and became a political force. She writes her story and the film takes the time to portray some of her ups and downs in life and the difference she made in Kenya. The film reveals the stories of a few of the woman who participated in the Green Belt Movement as well as Wangari Maathai's aunt. These woman make a difference as well as share their stories and how it intertwines with Maathai's, to make the documentary have an impact. . It started as an environmental film where these woman got together to plant trees so that they could feed their children the fruit that grew on these trees and use the fire wood to cook the food. Then as the movement grew and these woman discussed how they wanted to change the way things were, they wanted to fight the oppression and the government that oppressed them. They wanted to fight for democracy. This documentary was empowering to watch as a woman. In the documentary you can see the mistreatment of these women and how they feel about it, including Ms. Maathai. No one was standing up for them so they decided to stand up for themselves and fight for themselves. Together as a group they did the unthinkable. Woman are often seen as inferior, so seeing how the Green Belt Movement empowers these woman to make a difference in their communities and in their country was truly encouraging and motivating. As the trees grow, so do the woman and communities in the documentary.
Most of the documentary takes place in Kenya, starting out in Maathai's home of Nyeri, Kenya. The film portrays a lot of the landscape that surrounds Kenya with vivid and beautiful screenshots of trees and running water. Sounds of the wild, rushing water and birds chirping fill the background as we glide through the countries landscapes. The sound technique really helps to paint an extraordinarily beautiful picture of what Kenya is like. These shots of Kenya's environment allow the viewer to understand why the woman want to restore and preserve their home. In addition to the nature scenes, the documentary gives shots of protests and the environment in which the women of the Green Belt Movement work. These shots help the audience understand where Wangari is coming from by appealing to their pathos.
The direction the film was headed in was an environmental standpoint, however it is far more than that. It is a documentary that demonstrates aspects of feminism and moral values that are held dearly in Kenya. Although I wish it did show the spread of the movement and the growth with a couple frames. If the film would have showed more on how the movement spread through Kenya and the support it received, I feel like it would have really shown the political impact. The protests are really a way of showing how her story and movement affected the people of Kenya. She led a lot of the protests and explained why they were doing it to those who were concerned. Wangari just wanted people to hear her out and she wanted to help those who needed a little push to make the difference they wished to see
This film is definitely worth watching. It wasn't too long and didn't drag on. It had a very minimal amount of people to track and remember. It also wasn't boring to watch and really gets you to think about what you are doing to help the world. Watching these woman and listening to their stories was more than inspiring. It makes you want to go out and not just write your own story but inspire other people's stories so that together a difference is made. If you leave with anything from this film is that everything starts with one story so that you can see the bigger picture.
In this documentary the audience learns about Ms. Maathai's life and of many of her achievements. The audience gains knowledge about how she became the successful woman she is known to be today. The documentary explains Wangari's educational journey and how she began as a child in Nyeri, Kenya. Her educational journey ended with her receiving a PhD from the University College of Nairobi. Her story then brought the audience to see how she came to be awarded with the Noble Peace Prize through her hard work and dedication to a cause. Her story is an inspiration of how just one woman can start a movement and have it grow into something far more meaningful. Ms. Maathai began a movement known as the Green Belt Movement, an organization for women who live in rural areas to come together and plant trees to help with the current living conditions. This movement gained great momentum as the women and families who participated in it came together and found many root causes to deforestation, poverty, and political oppression. Therefore, they felt empowered as a group and became a political force. She writes her story and the film takes the time to portray some of her ups and downs in life and the difference she made in Kenya. The film reveals the stories of a few of the woman who participated in the Green Belt Movement as well as Wangari Maathai's aunt. These woman make a difference as well as share their stories and how it intertwines with Maathai's, to make the documentary have an impact. . It started as an environmental film where these woman got together to plant trees so that they could feed their children the fruit that grew on these trees and use the fire wood to cook the food. Then as the movement grew and these woman discussed how they wanted to change the way things were, they wanted to fight the oppression and the government that oppressed them. They wanted to fight for democracy. This documentary was empowering to watch as a woman. In the documentary you can see the mistreatment of these women and how they feel about it, including Ms. Maathai. No one was standing up for them so they decided to stand up for themselves and fight for themselves. Together as a group they did the unthinkable. Woman are often seen as inferior, so seeing how the Green Belt Movement empowers these woman to make a difference in their communities and in their country was truly encouraging and motivating. As the trees grow, so do the woman and communities in the documentary.
Most of the documentary takes place in Kenya, starting out in Maathai's home of Nyeri, Kenya. The film portrays a lot of the landscape that surrounds Kenya with vivid and beautiful screenshots of trees and running water. Sounds of the wild, rushing water and birds chirping fill the background as we glide through the countries landscapes. The sound technique really helps to paint an extraordinarily beautiful picture of what Kenya is like. These shots of Kenya's environment allow the viewer to understand why the woman want to restore and preserve their home. In addition to the nature scenes, the documentary gives shots of protests and the environment in which the women of the Green Belt Movement work. These shots help the audience understand where Wangari is coming from by appealing to their pathos.
The direction the film was headed in was an environmental standpoint, however it is far more than that. It is a documentary that demonstrates aspects of feminism and moral values that are held dearly in Kenya. Although I wish it did show the spread of the movement and the growth with a couple frames. If the film would have showed more on how the movement spread through Kenya and the support it received, I feel like it would have really shown the political impact. The protests are really a way of showing how her story and movement affected the people of Kenya. She led a lot of the protests and explained why they were doing it to those who were concerned. Wangari just wanted people to hear her out and she wanted to help those who needed a little push to make the difference they wished to see
This film is definitely worth watching. It wasn't too long and didn't drag on. It had a very minimal amount of people to track and remember. It also wasn't boring to watch and really gets you to think about what you are doing to help the world. Watching these woman and listening to their stories was more than inspiring. It makes you want to go out and not just write your own story but inspire other people's stories so that together a difference is made. If you leave with anything from this film is that everything starts with one story so that you can see the bigger picture.