I Am Because We Are
Encyclopedia
I Am Because We Are is a 2008
documentary film
directed by Nathan Rissman and written, narrated, and produced by Madonna
.
The film premiered at the 7th annual Tribeca Film Festival
in New York City, on April 24, 2008 and at the 61st annual Cannes Film Festival
in Cannes, France on May 21, 2008. The movie also headlined the 2008 Traverse City Film Festival
.
On December 1, 2008, it premiered in the U.S. on the Sundance Channel for World AIDS Day
.
On March 26, 2009, the film was uploaded by Madonna's team onto YouTube
and Hulu
for free viewing. The film won the VH1 Do Something Docu Style Award in 2010.
who have lost parents and siblings to HIV
and AIDS
, many of whom live on the streets. The film also shows the efforts with Madonna's charitable organisation Raising Malawi
in helping with improving their lives and conditions.
Madonna said about the film: "To say that this film is a labor of love is trivial. It's also the journey of a lifetime. I hope you all are as inspired watching it as I was making it."
The film, released in 2008, was described by long-time friend Rosie O'Donnell
as "devastating and amazing." Both Madonna and O'Donnell attended a private screening on October 11, 2007.
for their extensive work with orphans throughout Malawi.
and anti-apartheid activist Desmond Tutu
's speech regarding the African philosophy of Ubuntu. Ubuntu is an idea present in African spirituality that says "I am because we are", or we are all connected, we cannot be ourselves without community, health and faith are always lived out among others, an individual's well being is caught up in the well being of others.. In Malawi, this African philosophy is known as "uMunthu". In Chichewa, it is kali kokha nkanyama, tili awiri ntiwanthu (when you are on your own you are as good as an animal of the wild; when there are two of you, you form a community).”
The movie received positive reviews in the media. The Times
, giving it 4 out of 5 stars, wrote: "This rich material makes for a completely absorbing film. Certain scenes, such as women and children literally dying of AIDS in front of the camera, drew gasps from the shocked audience in the screening room at Cannes. It's impossible to tear your eyes away from the screen. Not that the film portrays Malawian people as innocent victims of circumstances beyond their control. Rissman doesn't shy away from the culture of drinking, crime and violence that is prevalent in the country. Together, he and Madonna have made a shocking and incredibly moving film that is much more than an extended Comic Relief appeal."
A news article in The Guardian
said, "Madonna the documentary-maker came, saw and conquered the world's biggest film festival yesterday with a powerful polemic on the effects of disease and poverty on Malawi...The queen of reinvention presented her film, I Am Because We Are, which she wrote and produced, to general acclaim. Alongside her was her former gardener Nathan Rissman, who directed."
The movie was shown at the 2008 Traverse City Film Festival
, held from July 29 to August 3. Michael Moore
, who founded the festival, said in May 2008 about the movie: "I saw her film a month ago and was so deeply moved in a way that rarely happens with movies these days. I asked her immediately if she would come to our festival and she said, "yes." I have known her for years and she is truly one of the most caring and generous people I have met. Her presence here in Traverse City will have a profound impact on people." In the fall of 2008, Madonna released a video message announcing plans to build a school in Malawi, the Raising Malawi Academy for Girls.
(where the entire film is available for free viewing)
2008 in film
This is a list of all major films made in 2008.-Highest-grossing films:Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top grossing films that were first released in the USA in 2008...
documentary film
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
directed by Nathan Rissman and written, narrated, and produced by Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
.
The film premiered at the 7th annual Tribeca Film Festival
Tribeca Film Festival
The Tribeca Film Festival is a film festival founded in 2002 by Jane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro and Craig Hatkoff in a response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the consequent loss of vitality in the TriBeCa neighborhood in Lower Manhattan.The mission of the festival...
in New York City, on April 24, 2008 and at the 61st annual Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
in Cannes, France on May 21, 2008. The movie also headlined the 2008 Traverse City Film Festival
Traverse City Film Festival
The Traverse City Film Festival is an annual film festival held every late July through early August in Traverse City, Michigan. The festival was created as an annual event in 2005 to help “save one of America's few indigenous art forms—the cinema." The event was co-founded by Michael Moore, the...
.
On December 1, 2008, it premiered in the U.S. on the Sundance Channel for World AIDS Day
World AIDS Day
World AIDS Day, observed December 1 every year, is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection. Government and health officials observe the day, often with speeches or forums on the AIDS topics. Since 1995, the President of the United States has made an...
.
On March 26, 2009, the film was uploaded by Madonna's team onto YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
and Hulu
Hulu
Hulu is a website and over-the-top subscription service offering ad-supported on-demand streaming video of TV shows, movies, webisodes and other new media, trailers, clips, and behind-the-scenes footage from NBC, Fox, ABC, and Obstacle on October 20th 2011 Nickelodeon and CBS and many other...
for free viewing. The film won the VH1 Do Something Docu Style Award in 2010.
Film
The film documents the concern over the millions of orphans in the African country of MalawiMalawi
The Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Its size...
who have lost parents and siblings to HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
and AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
, many of whom live on the streets. The film also shows the efforts with Madonna's charitable organisation Raising Malawi
Raising Malawi
Raising Malawi is a charity non-profit organization that was founded by Madonna and Michael Berg in 2006. It is dedicated to helping with the extreme poverty and hardship endured by Malawi's one million orphans.-Mission statement:-Charity fundraiser:...
in helping with improving their lives and conditions.
Madonna said about the film: "To say that this film is a labor of love is trivial. It's also the journey of a lifetime. I hope you all are as inspired watching it as I was making it."
The film, released in 2008, was described by long-time friend Rosie O'Donnell
Rosie O'Donnell
Roseann "Rosie" O'Donnell is an American stand-up comedian, actress, author and television personality. She has also been a magazine editor and continues to be a celebrity blogger, LGBT rights activist, television producer and collaborative partner in the LGBT family vacation company R Family...
as "devastating and amazing." Both Madonna and O'Donnell attended a private screening on October 11, 2007.
Book
A companion book containing 180 pages with 106 duotone and 44 four-color photographs taken during the visit, as well as stills from the video was released in January 2009. Author proceeds from the sale of the book were to be donated to the charitable organization Raising MalawiRaising Malawi
Raising Malawi is a charity non-profit organization that was founded by Madonna and Michael Berg in 2006. It is dedicated to helping with the extreme poverty and hardship endured by Malawi's one million orphans.-Mission statement:-Charity fundraiser:...
for their extensive work with orphans throughout Malawi.
- Released: January 2009
- Photographer: Kristen Ashburn, with foreword by Madonna
- Publisher: PowerHouse
Title
The title is derived from former Archbishop of Cape TownArchbishop of Cape Town
The Archbishop of Cape Town is the Primate / Metropolitan of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa.The current Archbishop is the Most Reverend Thabo MakgobaRobert Gray was the first Anglican Bishop of Cape Town.-List of Bishops and Archbishops:...
and anti-apartheid activist Desmond Tutu
Desmond Tutu
Desmond Mpilo Tutu is a South African activist and retired Anglican bishop who rose to worldwide fame during the 1980s as an opponent of apartheid...
's speech regarding the African philosophy of Ubuntu. Ubuntu is an idea present in African spirituality that says "I am because we are", or we are all connected, we cannot be ourselves without community, health and faith are always lived out among others, an individual's well being is caught up in the well being of others.. In Malawi, this African philosophy is known as "uMunthu". In Chichewa, it is kali kokha nkanyama, tili awiri ntiwanthu (when you are on your own you are as good as an animal of the wild; when there are two of you, you form a community).”
Reception
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
, giving it 4 out of 5 stars, wrote: "This rich material makes for a completely absorbing film. Certain scenes, such as women and children literally dying of AIDS in front of the camera, drew gasps from the shocked audience in the screening room at Cannes. It's impossible to tear your eyes away from the screen. Not that the film portrays Malawian people as innocent victims of circumstances beyond their control. Rissman doesn't shy away from the culture of drinking, crime and violence that is prevalent in the country. Together, he and Madonna have made a shocking and incredibly moving film that is much more than an extended Comic Relief appeal."
A news article in The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
said, "Madonna the documentary-maker came, saw and conquered the world's biggest film festival yesterday with a powerful polemic on the effects of disease and poverty on Malawi...The queen of reinvention presented her film, I Am Because We Are, which she wrote and produced, to general acclaim. Alongside her was her former gardener Nathan Rissman, who directed."
The movie was shown at the 2008 Traverse City Film Festival
Traverse City Film Festival
The Traverse City Film Festival is an annual film festival held every late July through early August in Traverse City, Michigan. The festival was created as an annual event in 2005 to help “save one of America's few indigenous art forms—the cinema." The event was co-founded by Michael Moore, the...
, held from July 29 to August 3. Michael Moore
Michael Moore
Michael Francis Moore is an American filmmaker, author, social critic and activist. He is the director and producer of Fahrenheit 9/11, which is the highest-grossing documentary of all time. His films Bowling for Columbine and Sicko also place in the top ten highest-grossing documentaries...
, who founded the festival, said in May 2008 about the movie: "I saw her film a month ago and was so deeply moved in a way that rarely happens with movies these days. I asked her immediately if she would come to our festival and she said, "yes." I have known her for years and she is truly one of the most caring and generous people I have met. Her presence here in Traverse City will have a profound impact on people." In the fall of 2008, Madonna released a video message announcing plans to build a school in Malawi, the Raising Malawi Academy for Girls.
External links
of I Am Because We Are of Raising MalawiRaising Malawi
Raising Malawi is a charity non-profit organization that was founded by Madonna and Michael Berg in 2006. It is dedicated to helping with the extreme poverty and hardship endured by Malawi's one million orphans.-Mission statement:-Charity fundraiser:...
(where the entire film is available for free viewing)