I Am Because We Are
I Am Because We Are is a 2008 British-American-Malawian documentary film about AIDS orphans in Malawi. It was directed by Nathan Rissman and written, narrated, and produced by Madonna through her production company Semtex Films.
I Am Because We Are
Madonna
Angela Becker
Madonna
Kevin Brown
Grant James
Nathan Rissman
Marc Shap
John Martin White
Semtex Films
- April 24, 2008 (Tribeca Film Festival)
- December 1, 2008 (United States)
90 minutes
United Kingdom
United States
Malawi
English
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 film also headlined the 2008 Traverse City Film Festival.[1] 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.[2]
The film won the VH1 Do Something Docu Style Award in 2010.
Film[edit]
The film documents the lives of orphans in Malawi, where an estimated 500,000 children have lost parents to HIV and AIDS.[3] Many of these children 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.[4]
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."[5]
The film, released in 2008, was described by long-time friend Rosie O'Donnell as "devastating and amazing".[6] Both Madonna and O'Donnell attended a private screening on October 11, 2007.
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 Malawi for their extensive work with orphans throughout Malawi.[7]
Title[edit]
The title is derived from former archbishop of Cape Town 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.[8] 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).”[9]