Our Film
I travelled to the Samburu region of northern Kenya in early 2016, to meet with Samburu activist, Rebecca Lolosoli and undertake research for our documentary Rebecca's Story, going beyond the story of the founding of Umoja to look at the forces that shaped this remarkable leader and champion of women. Filming is scheduled to begin this November (2017), in Kenya.
Lili Campbell, Writer/Director meets with Rebecca Lolosoli in Umoja to begin research for the film
We have been given exclusive and unfettered access to Rebecca, members of her family and many of the village women – and are profoundly grateful for their trust.
The founding of the Village of Umoja by Rebecca and 15 women survivors of extreme violence has been well documented, however, little is known about Rebecca’s actual life. What drives this courageous woman and what started her on this remarkable journey? Our film will dig deeper to uncover why Newsweek Magazine in 2011 named her as one of the 150 Women Who Shake the World and what makes her such a compelling and inspiring leader.
Madeleine Albright greets Rebecca Lolosoli at the Women in the World Summit (2011) while Condoleezza Rice and Tina Brown look on.
An interview clip of Rebecca filmed for research purposes about the Village of Umoja as a 'rescue' centre for young women fleeing violence and FGM
Background
The beautiful, harsh and arid landscape of the Samburu region in the northern Rift Valley of Kenya will form the backdrop for our film. This area has for many years, seen internal and external conflicts that unfortunately have helped define the region.
The Samburu and a number of other neighbouring tribes are pastoralists who depend on livestock for their sustenance and livelihoods. But climate change is drying up even centuries-old water sources, leaving a thriving black market for livestock and continual raids that stoke local tensions and create a space for war and killing.
Extreme poverty also exacerbates the cultural practices of the Samburu people. In this polygamous and patriarchal society, women have no rights. They are often subjected to violence and abuse at the hands of their husbands and girls as young as 13 can be married off to much older men. Women cannot own property or inherit, and the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM), although officially illegal in Kenya, is still practiced in the Samburu region and throughout the northern Rift Valley.
Film Treatment
Sweeping opening views of the stunning but harsh landscape, this sets the stage for what is to come. Against this visual backdrop, we will begin to uncover more about the early life of this inspiring leader and reveal what makes her so compelling.
Rebecca's Story will be told from her point of view as the narrative arc starts with her early life including when at 13, she is traumatized and almost dies from ‘cutting’ or Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). Thus begins her lifelong battle against the practice that has claimed the lives of countless women and children and leaves terrible physical and emotional scars.
Rebecca’s early life and retrospective story will be told through archival footage, family photos and interviews with family and friends supported by parallax animation. We will provide the audience with a way to view these difficult scenes from her past like the cutting she experienced at 13, and all that surrounds this through the use of (3D parallax) animation. These simple but impactful animations will be used sparingly, but will create an emotional resonance and will help to mark important moments in her life through the passage of time.
The middle and final part of the film will focus on her efforts to find peace in the region. Since founding Umoja, Rebecca has reached out to over 70 villages throughout the northern Rift Valley of Kenya, empowering women by educating them about their rights and raising awareness. We will meet several of the young women whose lives have been saved by Rebecca and learn of their ongoing fight for freedom and equality.
We will also learn of her attempts to run for parliament and while she is ‘bruised’ by the experience, she remains steadfast trying to move the dial and her people forward as this ancient culture struggles with the effects and challenges of modernity.
We will travel with her to some of the surrounding areas as she faces her greatest challenge – working to end the decades-long conflict between rival tribes in the region by engaging the women. We will film Rebecca as she works with these women who have had enough of the violence and loss of life and want to have their voices heard in the peace process that has so far been dominated by men.
We will film rival tribal 'gangs' if possible and/or include news footage and other imagery of these armed and indigenous 'raiders' to paint a true picture of conflict in the region.
Where possible we will film (verité-style) the women as they plan and make preparations to try and stop the violence that has plagued their communities for decades. Failure to achieve peace is no longer an option for the people of the Rift Valley region in Kenya.
An interview clip of Rebecca filmed for research purposes as she talks about women and their quest for peace
Our Budget
$30,000 to fund First Phase of Principal Photography
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$10,000 Director of Photography
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$ 3,000 Editing
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$ 2,000 Administration incl insurance, legal fees
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$ 3,000 Equipment rental
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$ 1,000 Studio rental (London)
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$ 6,000 Flights and Car rental
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$ 4,000 Accommodation, Food (London/Kenya)
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$ 1,000 Guide fees
At the end of our focused shoot and first phase of production starting November 2017, we expect to have sufficient scenes edited in order to demonstrate to funders and others that Rebecca's Story is a compelling film project that is worthy of further consideration from grantmakers, festivals, broadcasters and distributors. If we raise less than $30,000, we will shorten our stay in the Samburu but are confident that we will still be able to deliver a solid showing. The Director/Writer has deferred fees until a later stage of production.
Other Ways You Can Help
Whether or not you can give right now, we would still love your help to spread the word! Please share the Indiegogo campaign links and updates on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) or by email to help us build buzz for the film. Use the Indiegogo share tools to spread the word about our campaign.