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Scottish Premiere. Climate change and historical injustices ignite a conflict between Indigenous pastoralists and white ranchers in Kenya's Laikipia County, highlighting the urgent need for reconciliation and meaningful change. Directors Daphne Matziaraki and Peter Murimi offer a nuanced perspective on both sides of the struggle. The documentary captures the challenges faced by the pastoralist herding community, struggling to feed their cattle amidst shrinking grasslands and severe drought, and the white ranchers determined to protect their territory. The film delves into the deep-rooted issues stemming from the region’s colonial past and examines the impact of climate change on land and livelihoods. Through the stories of individuals like Simeon, a proud member of the Samburu people, and Maria, a matriarch of a white farming family, The Battle for Laikipia provides a powerful call for reconciliation and meaningful change, serving as a compelling reminder of the ongoing struggles in post-colonial societies and the urgent need for climate action. (Daphne Matziaraki and Peter Murimi, Keyna/USA, 94 mins)

In English and Swahili with English subtitles

The screening will be followed by a live virtual Q&A with director Daphne Maziaraki.

About the filmmakers:

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Daphne Matziaraki is a Greek documentary film director based between Greece and the San Francisco Bay Area. She directed, produced, shot, and edited the New York Times Op-Doc 4.1 Miles, earning an Academy Award nomination, an Emmy nomination, and a Peabody Award. Her films Container and Into the Sea have won multiple awards. She directed a segment for Apple TV's The Me You Can't See and premiered her first feature, The Battle for Laikipia, at Sundance 2024. Daphne mentors filmmakers for the Stavros Niarchos Artworks fellowship and Docubox.

Peter Murimi is a multiple award-winning Kenyan documentary director/producer known for tackling hard-hitting social issues. His feature-length documentary I Am Samuel (2020) follows a gay Kenyan man's struggle for acceptance, screening at over a dozen festivals including Hot Docs and BFI. His second feature, The Battle for Laikipia, premiered at Sundance 2024. Murimi has led investigations for BBC Africa Eye, including The Baby Stealers (2020) and Suicide Stories (2019), winning the Rory Peck News Features Award. He has made films in 30 African countries for outlets like Al Jazeera and Channel 4 News.

With short film:

Dùthchas—Community Forestry in Scotland

Kilfinan Community Forest’s woodland crofts model is revitalising native woodlands and communities, reshaping Scotland’s landscape post-Highland Clearances. Inspired by the Gaelic word Dùthchas – meaning the deep-rooted connection between people and nature – this film examines the transformation from a commercial plantation to community-managed woodland crofts, highlighting the ecological restoration and community resilience sparked by the 2007 Crofting Reform Act. (Jaye Renold, UK, 11 mins)

The screening will be followed by a live onstage Q&A with director Jaye Renold.

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About the Filmmaker:

Jaye Renold, a self-shooting director with a background in environmental campaigning, anthropology, and visual arts, specialises in co-creative filmmaking. She creates documentaries and short films for media, activist groups, NGOs, and international bodies, focusing on climate justice and social-ecological crises. Jaye has filmed in diverse conditions across five continents, with footage appearing globally from Times Square to TV Globo Brasil. She directs the Emerging Filmmakers Professional Development Program at If Not Us Then Who?

Dùthchas photo: Joel Redman/If Not Us Then Who?

This programme is rated 15

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