During the early ’70s, soon-to-be filmmaker Jennifer Lawson resided in Tanzania and found herself surrounded by brilliant intellectuals, historians and writers. Tired of the negative connotations associated with Africa and inspired by her new acquaintances, she decided to come back to the States and learn her craft, hoping to one day create a film sharing the stories of the African people. What resulted was an eight-part storytelling triumph (each covering a different region within the continent), with the first of the series titled Savannah Homecoming. Filmed in the Rift Valley (Tanzania and Kenya), this story follows two women on their journey away from the city. One woman has decided, against her doctor’s wishes, to give birth in her village. Why? She believes “that people born in cities don’t have a true culture.”
Wed., June 17, 1:30 p.m., 2009
