After the Norient Festival Emma Nzioka aka Coco Em and producer Ka(ra)mi will represent Norient at the Colomboscope Interdisciplinary Arts Festival in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Dr. Wangari Maathai once said, «It is the people who must save the environment. It is the people who must make their leaders change. We cannot be intimidated. We must stand up for what we believe in.» This is a cinematic tribute to women of colour who continue to speak out, to fight the powers that be, to guard and preserve our environment and to dedicate their lives to create a sacred link for us and our ancestors. From the leafy green forests of Chocó department in Songs that Flood the River to the staggering portrait of debris-laden and putrid dump sites in Terra Mater, I invite you to witness these powerful works by the women of colour who have taken a stand to heal our earth! Will we stand with them?

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TAKING ROOT: VISION OF WANGARI MAATHAI
Lisa Merton, Alan Dater | Kenya | 2008 | 81 min.

Growing up in Nairobi in the early 90s, Wangari Maathai was a common household name. One I had made synonymous with bravery and to some extent, madness. Dr. Wangari was the only woman I had known who was ‹mad› enough to stand up to a dictator’s (President Moi) regime, and call it out for its corruption and intolerance to taking care of the environment. She defended the forest with her own body and inspired many more women and men to do the same.

In the spirit of Dr. Wangari Maathai, the first African woman and environmentalist to receive a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and the creator of the Green Belt Movement, Taking Root celebrates her vision. In 1977, Maathai initiated a tree-planting movement to address environmental degradation, which evolved into a nationwide effort promoting environmental conservation, human rights, and democracy.

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SONGS THAT FLOOD THE RIVER
German Arango | Colombia | 2021 | 72 min.

In this beautiful portrait, set in the green and lush, biodiverse background of the Chocó department of Colombia, a group of Afro Colombian women write and sing songs to cope with the devastating impact of armed conflict in Colombia and to wish those who are deceased as a result of war, a good journey into the hereafter. The songs sound like prayers. They are mortuary rituals.

Songs that Flood the River focuses on the life of Oneida, an Afro-Colombian woman from the Chocó department. Oneida finds solace in singing Alabaos as a means of communal healing. This story delves into the aftermath of the Bojayá massacre, where it highlights the resilience of the community and the role of these songs in preserving cultural heritage, providing a unique perspective on the impact of war and the quest for peace in Colombian territory.

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TERRA MATER (MOTHER LAND)
Kandarama Gahigiri | Rwanda | 2023 | 10 min

«Technology and waste, in our lands, our systems, our bones. Wandering our spaces, she cannot help but wonder, where is the space for healing?»

Whose responsibility is it to take care of the earth? In the first few minutes of Terra Mater, I am both in awe and repulsed by the beautifully composed shot of an overflowing dumpsite. This powerful short film by a good friend, Kantarama Gahigiri, forces us to see the magnitude of our destruction of the planet.

Terra Mater is an immediate and urgent message for a world exacerbated by global capitalism and modernism. It is a protest against capitalist ideologies and instincts. The film also emphasizes the interconnectedness of humanity, demonstrated starkly by the global impact of crises such as Covid-19.

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COLOMBOSCOPE is a contemporary arts festival and creative platform for interdisciplinary dialogue that has grown steadily within the cultural landscape of Colombo since 2013. ​

The festival has worked with a range of intergenerational artists, writers, musicians, filmmakers, social theorists and scientific researchers from Sri Lanka and internationally delivering a focused programme with each festival edition held at key historic sites in Colombo. Several of the cultural practitioners participating in COLOMBOSCOPE have gone on to show their work within regional and international exhibitions. ​

The festival organizers are committed to building a sustainable and context-responsive environment for cultural producers to continue generating path-breaking, collaborative and genre-defying approaches in the field. ​ ​

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This event is supported by Pro Helvetia, Swiss Arts Council.