SARAH - A SAFE FILMS PRODUCTION
Join us for a screening of Sarah, followed by a Q&A with Director, Nick Reding.
Film starts @ 7:45pm
DIRECTED BY - NICK REDING
PRODUCED BY - SARAH TENOI, NICK REDING, AMOS LEUKA
STORY BY - SARAH TENOI, NICK REDING, AMOS LEUKA
About the Film
Sarah, a young Maasai girl, dreams of taking her place in the modern world. The community she lives in is changing fast, and opportunities for young women are starting to emerge. But as she approaches marriageable age, a generous dowry offer gives her family the chance to rebuild their wealth after a devastating drought. This would mean removing her from school, and passing her through the long-standing tradition of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) in preparation to be a wife and mother. Sarah is an only child and unlike most girls, including her best friend Evelyn, she has been allowed to attend school where she is thriving. Evelyn, desperate to learn, walks her friend to school every day, and meets Sarah at the end of the day and tries to catch up on the lessons. Sarah is developing a friendship with a young warrior, and is hoping that perhaps this could develop into something more. But returning home from school one day, the older wives of the prospective husband ‘mark’ Sarah with milk, to claim her for their family.
Sarah’s world starts to crumble. She has no power to decide her fate, and the decision about this marriage offer rests entirely with her father. Sarah’s mother is told about the growing campaign for FGM/C abandonment, but she is resistant. She was cut, and has continued well without complications, so sees no reason to abandon tradition, and plans to cut her daughter.
All around Sarah, the power of this cultural norm, and the inevitability of it continuing, makes her fate seem pre-determined. Meanwhile, for Evelyn, peer pressure, societal pressure to accept her traditional role as a wife and mother, and a love of tradition, is also pushing her towards undergoing FGM/C. The film was shot without a full script, and the cast were allowed to improvise the scenes as they were filmed, based on their own understanding of the complex and sensitive cultural and political issues that surround FGM/C, and their knowledge of their characters. Having all worked together for 18 years, the trust shared by the director, producers and cast enabled them to present the changes happening in the Loita community with sensitivity and hope. out