“If our cows are healthy, we will have abundance in our lives,” says a Samburu tribe member who lives in Laikipia, Kenya. An endless drought forces the pastoral tribes who have herded their animals here for hundreds of years to seek more verdant grounds. They are stymied by the presence of British colonists, who own enormous ranches and conservancies where they struggle to protect their own way of living in Africa. Against a backdrop of impossible migration, contentious elections, and extreme violence on all sides, The Battle for Laikipia is a heartbreaking story that makes us wonder about the human spirit and how we can survive conflicts such as these, as climate change forces us to make such seemingly impossible decisions. – Sabina Barach 

ABOUT THE FILMMAKER:

Daphne Matziaraki is a Greek documentary film director who lives between Greece and the San Francisco Bay Area. She directed, produced, shot and edited The New York Times Op-Doc 4.1 Miles, for which she received an Academy Award nomination, as well as an Emmy nomination and a Peabody Award. 

Peter Murimi is a multiple award-winning Kenyan documentary director/producer focusing on hard-hitting social issues. His feature-length documentary I Am Samuel tells the story of a gay Kenyan man’s struggle for acceptance and has been shown at more than a dozen film festivals, including Hot Docs, BFI and Human Rights Watch.