A Must-See Documentary: “The Great Green Wall”
A bold and visually epic documentary feature ‘The Great Green Wall’ follows the emergence of a new world wonder changing lives on the African continent.
The Great Green Wall tells the incredible story of one of the planet’s most timely and ambitious endeavors taking route on the edge of the Sahara desert.
The dream is to grow a wall of trees and plants across the entire width of Africa, and stop the ravages of climate change firmly in its tracks. By the time it’s completed in 2030, the Great Green Wall will be the largest living structure on the planet – three times the length of the Great Barrier Reef.
Working with acclaimed Oscar-nominated film-maker Fernando Meirelles, the film will tell the story of this incredible initiative through the eyes of renowned Malian singer and activist Inna Modja.
Taking the audience on a visually and musically stunning journey across the continent, Inna will explore nations devastated by war and famine, to tell the story of a burgeoning pan-African movement bringing hope to millions of people.
We had the pleasure of interviewing Jared P. Scott about his experience filming the documentary. Here were the questions we asked him.
- Can you tell us a little bit about the documentary?
- What inspired you to shoot this film?
- What is the Great Green Wall?
- What was the most surprising thing to you about filming the documentary?
- What was it like to work with Inna Modja? What was it like to help amplify her voice, at a time when racial injustices around the world continue to be unveiled?
- It was clear in the film that land degradation and desertification bring a trail of humanitarian consequences. With the complex socio-economic and environmental issues that plague Africa, what inspired the intersectional narrative of the film?
- The themes that kept arising from the film from my perspective were the importance of community coming together to fight for a common goal, music can unite us, women empowerment, and land preservation. Why were these specific themes chosen? What was the rationale for including them?
- One of the most striking scenes that stood out to me was how individuals mobilized their community to take action and the quote “It’s way beyond planting trees – it’s about revitalizing ecosystems and communities”. Why did you feel this message was an important one to include?
- Thomas Sankara was the “spirit of the Great Green Wall movement” that began in the 1980s. He planted 10 million trees – why do you feel now, 30 years later, this was the right time to portray the story through the eyes of Inna Modja?
- To end, a quote in the movie said “if you see something as just a problem, you’re not going to find a solution”. How do you feel this documentary will help educate more people about getting involved in the Great Green Wall Project?
Please watch below for the incredible interview Jessica Correa had with Jared P. Scott.
The film is distributed in Canada by Blue Ice Docs, and for more details on the film and where to stream visit here.
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