SFFS Presents: Taking Root November 12, 2008

The San Francisco Film Society presents the second film program of its partnership with the Goldman Environmental Prize, which was initiated earlier this year to support environmental film programming as part of the Film Society’s year-round public screenings and events, and to expand the environmental awareness of the Society’s Youth Education Program. Alan Dater and Lisa Merton’s award-winning documentary, Taking Root: The Vision of Wangari Maathai (USA/Kenya 2008), will have its San Francisco premiere on Wednesday, November 12 at 7:30 pm at Landmark’s Embarcadero Center Cinema.

Codirector Lisa Merton is expected to introduce her film and participate in a Q&A following the screening.

Dr. Wangari Maathai, a Goldman Environmental Prize winner in 1991, is the founder of the Green Belt Movement in Kenya, an organization that fosters environmental awareness by encouraging women across the country to plant trees. Winner of the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize, Dr. Maathai narrates her story with grace and humor in this documentary by Alan Dater and Lisa Merton. Taking Root: The Vision of Wangari Maathai traces the inception of widespread environmental destruction in Kenya to the days of British colonialism, and weaves the activist’s story into the turbulent history of her country. Matthai connects the destruction of forests in Kenya to issues of human rights, public health and women’s rights. A moving testimony to the power of grassroots political change, this inspiring film has garnered awards from film festivals around the world including the Audience Award at the Hot Docs Festival and the Amnesty International Human Rights Award at the Durban International Film Festival. Photographed by Alan Dater. 81 min. Distributed by Marlboro Productions.

Tickets for 7:30 pm screening: $10 for year-round SFFS members; $12.50 general; $11 seniors, students and persons with disabilities. Available online at www.sffs.org.

For more information, www.sffs.org.

Official Website: http://www.sffs.org/events/films/film_taking_root.html