Searching for Amani
Debra Aroko, Nicole Gormley | USA, Kenye | 2024 | 80'
IN COLLABORATION WITH

Screenings
Sun 23 March H 15:15
Section
Original title
Searching for Amani
Synopsis
In the heart of Kenya, the mysterious death of the father of Simon Ali, a highly esteemed guide on a reserve, drives his 13-year-old son to venture out on a painful journey to find the guilty party. With his video camera and with the dream of becoming a journalist, Simon discovers the harsh reality of the devastating drought that has struck the shepherds and the armed conflicts that global warming is causing in the region.
Cast
Simon Ali
Films Distribution
Autlook
Production
Backroads Pictures & Nicole Gormley
Editing
Vickie Curtis, Peter Goetz, Debra Aroko
Cinematography
Campbell Brewer
Editing
Tessa Malsam, Davis Coombe
Language
English, Swahili
Subtitles
Italian, English
Premiere
Italian Première
Main awards
Albert Maysles Award, Best New Documentary Director (Tribeca Film Festival 2024), Raindance Award, Best Documentary Feature (Raindance Film Festival 2024)
Biography
Debra Aroko is a Kenyan filmmaker and producer with a passion for telling stories that capture the nuanced realities of communities facing the effects of a global climate crisis. Debra serves as a producer at the Solutions Storytelling Project, supported by the Skoll Foundation, overseeing the production of 19 short documentary films from across the African continent. The project connects African filmmakers with social innovators to create solutions-focused films that inspire positive change in their communities.
Filmography
2024 - Searching for Amani, ff
Biography
Nicole Gormley is a documentary filmmaker, photographer, and ocean advocate with the central aim to tell stories that inspire people to value our relationship to the natural world. She has produced projects in over fifty countries for several of the world’s leading media outlets, including Netflix’s Emmy-nominated series Ugly Delicious, and dozens of international expeditions for brands and networks. Her directing work includes the award-winning short films Lessons from Jeju, Monster in Our Closet, and Daughter of the Sea.
Filmography
2024 - Searching for Amani, ff
2022 - Daughter of the Sea, sf
2022 - Monster in our Closet, sf
2020 - Lessons From Jeju, sf (series)