Taking Root @ Boston Public Library

***FreePlusRating: 8/10***
A free community film at the library on a weekend might not be your idea of fun but nevertheless it is still a great learning experience.

A few Saturdays ago I dragged a friend visiting me from out of town to see a film called Taking Root at the Boston Public Library in Copley. This free film was sponsored by Boston Cares, a non-profit volunteering organization, in conjunction with a few other non-profit organizations including ITVS Community Cinema and the Boston Public Library. There were about 75-100 attendees seemingly from diverse backgrounds at the Rabb Lecture Hall in the basement of the BPL. The film started on time at 2pm and ended a few minutes past 3pm after which there was a short panel discussion but we did not stay for that part.

Taking Root is a film about a Kenyan environmental and political activist named Wangari Maathai who won a Nobel Peace Prize for her work in 2004. In 1977 she started the Green Belt Movement which has planted over 30 million trees in Kenya. Over the past thirty years she has won a number of battles for Kenya including saving Nairobi's Uhuru Park, a struggle which is described in the film. Her story about standing up to an oppressive government by planting one tree at a time was truly inspiring. My friend and I walked away from the film learning about someone we had not heard of in our traditional American education and inspired by how much one person can change the world.

More about the life of Wangari Maathai: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wangari_Maathai
Next Boston Cares Social Cinema Film on April 18th: http://www.cripsandbloodsmovie.com/

You can watch Taking Root on WGBH at 8pm on Wednesday April 15th and at 9pm on Sunday April 26th.

Tips: Take a friend with you to a community cinema event. You will be doing your part of spreading the message by just doing that.