Norwegian filmmaker Julia Dahr presents an intriguing documentary about climate change and activism. We begin in a rural village in Kenya with Kusilu’s family. As the climate has changed and the landscape around his home has become deforested, Kisilu notices the rain signs changing or disappearing. He hatches a brilliant scheme to teach the farmers in his area to properly plant and care for trees which will encourage rainfall and prevent runoff and other water loss.
The only problem is, despite being incredibly intelligent and forward-thinking, Kisilu’s economic position stifles his activism. While talking about her Kenyan friend back home in Norway, Julia opens up a once-in-a-lifetime chance for Kisilu when he is invited to an ecology conference. While Kisilu’s life changes from that of a subsistence farmer to an environmental activist, things at home remain much the same. The father is torn between saving the world and providing for his family.
While occasionally disorganized, Thank You for the Rain tells the intriguing story of Kisilu Musya, a Kenyan farmer-turned-activist. He hatches a plan to deal with the long-term issues of climate change and drought, but economic and social issues are a barrier to community acceptance of his tree-farming plan. Julia’s interjections make the film stutter, changing the pacing and styling from simple fly-on-the-wall to personal biography. The sound design is confusing as well, barraging the viewer with horror movie or canned city noises seemingly at random after sometimes twenty minutes of flawless slice-of-life documentation. These are the two complaints I have about Thank You for the Rain as there’s not much to complain about.
Kisilu is an intriguing subject: He is smart, thoughtful, kind, and sensitive, making his many blog-style interviews incredibly valuable for anyone seeking an African perspective on ecology and climate change. Highly Recommended.
Where does this title belong on public library shelves?
Thank You for the Rain belongs on ecology, ethnography, and biography documentary shelves in academic libraries.
What type of instructors could use this title?
Any instructor teaching ecology, African history, and culture, or climate change should include Thank You for the Rain in their lesson plans. Undergrad and graduate-level college students will probably gain the most, but high schoolers may also enjoy this title.
How does this film contribute to a discussion of environmental or climate justice, and/or to environmental literacy?
Thank You for the Rain expands the climate justice conversation in two ways: Kisilu both adds an African voice to the conversation and shows the viewer just how much one man can do for his environment.
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Teacher's Guide
Curator | David N.M. Mbora
Associate Professor of Biology and Environmental Science, Whittier College
Why I selected this film
Thank You for the Rain is a compelling firsthand account of the effects of climate change through the eyes of some of the most vulnerable people on the planet. As a portrayal of one man’s resolute efforts, the film demonstrates that ordinary people do have the agency to confront climate change. Indeed, Kisilu’s video diaries, which are embedded throughout the film, are especially evocative. The diaries give a face—or faces, actually—to those who are on the front lines of climate change, allowing them to share their experiences in their own voices and showcase how they are fighting back. This is a timely production.
The distinction between weather and climate is crucial to appreciating what climate change really is. Please see the teacher's guide for maps, background information, activities, and discussion questions that explore this subject.
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