How can the connections made by people of colour with the outdoors transform our relationships with the land and, in a time of anthropogenic climate crisis, help us redefine nature itself?
With a particular focus on people of the African and Caribbean diasporas, Jaha Browne’s WE ARE NATURE and two short films from Folkestone filmmaker Rhiana Bonterre trace the personal, communal and ancestral experiences of people of colour with the land and natural surroundings of the UK and the Caribbean, uncovering affective histories of separation, alienation, longing and reconciliation.
Film + Group Walk led by Fran Hajilou (Entangled Roots), followed by outdoors Communal Meal
“The British outdoors is a contested landscape.” (We Are Nature, 2022)
WE ARE NATURE is an immersive audio-driven film that asks you to listen. Why is it that BPoC communities in the UK do not feel like they belong in the outdoors? At a time when reconnecting with nature has never seemed so important, this film asks the question - is the British outdoors for everyone?
Meet BPoC women outdoor activists who are changing the story. It is an emotional response, a poetic and hybrid film consciously working to break stereotypes, acknowledge trauma without retraumatising the audience and inspire a new lens on the British outdoors.
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The Long Way Home, 2023 (Rhiana Bonterre, 9 mins) -A new film, exploring black embodiments in the landscape of Folkestone and Dover through interviews with members of the local black community.
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To Shake and Disturb and Bring Us Back to Ourselves, 2021 (Rhiana Bonterre, 9 mins) - a film merging experimental film and documentary techniques and aesthetics, discussing land and inheritance in the context of the Caribbean, specifically Trinidad.
Co-programmed with Origins Untold, Black Outside situates the film screenings in the context of the outdoors of Folkestone, incorporating a discussion, a walk and the festival’s customary community meal. Join us as we consider how the connections made by people of colour with the outdoors can transform our relationships with the land and, in a time of anthropogenic climate crisis, help us redefine nature itself.
Tickets for this event are included in the festival pass, or £12 for those without passes, which includes film, walk and food.
The planned route for the walk includes slopes, steps and uneven terrain, and may be unsuitable for wheelchair users and people with limited mobility. The total length of the route is about 1.5 miles, which will be around 30-40 minutes of walking at a moderate pace. If you have any concerns or questions about accessibility, please let us know by emailing info@folkestonedocumentaryfestival.co.uk
We Are Nature - Trailer
Filmmaker - Jaha Browne
Filmmaker - Rhiana Bonterre
In Partnership with Origins Untold
