SEARCHING FOR AMANI
Special Features: Co-presented by the Environmental Film Festival in the Nation's Capital
13-year-old Simon Ali is an aspiring journalist whose first case is personal: an investigation into the mysterious murder of his father while serving as a nature guide inside the Laikipia Wildlife Conservancy. Documentarians Nicole Gormley and Debra Aroko follow Simon’s moving four-year journey as he pieces together a timeline and interviews witnesses. His investigation reveals the far-reaching implications of the murder and its connection to a worsening climate crisis that brought a devastating drought to the region (an urgent issue depicted in THE BATTLE FOR LAIKIPIA, also playing in this year’s festival). “Amani” is the Swahili word for peace — the last word uttered by Simon’s father before his murder — and symbolizes not just what Simon seeks but what everyone living in one of Kenya’s largest and most important nature preserves hopes to achieve. DIR/PROD Nicole Gormley; DIR/SCR Debra Aroko; SCR/PROD Peter Goetz; PROD Mungai Kiroga, Caryn Capotosto. Kenya/U.S., 2024, color, 76 min. In Swahili and English with English subtitles. NOT RATED
Presented as part of the Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital
Since 1993, the Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital (DCEFF) has been the world's premier showcase of environmental storytelling. Through their annual festival, year-round programs, and online resources, DCEFF seeks to advance public understanding of the environment through the power of film. This year's festival runs March 20–29 at venues across the Washington, DC, area. For a full list of festival programs, visit dceff.org.
Run Time: 76 Minutes
Opening Date: Monday, March 24, 2025
Genre: Documentary
