Maasai at the Crossroads Documentary
Maasai at the Crossroads, narrated by Dr. Calestous Juma, is an intimate, insightful and heartwarming documentary about one of the last remaining traditional people in Africa,the Maasai.The documentary follows an experimental Speaker Program developed by an American woman, Teri Gabrielsen, founder
of Africa Schools of Kenya (ASK), to better the education of the boys and girls at Esiteti School. ASK and numerous Kenyan educators and leaders immerse themselves into the everyday lives of the Maasai.
The full-length documentary was produced featuring the three-week Speaker Program at Esiteti School during March and April 2009. It was premiered early September in Santa Barbara, CA and will be distributed throughout rural villages and schools in Kenya as well as other countries in Africa.
The film was accepted into the 2010 Santa Barbara Film Festival. Our two screenings will be on February 7th and 9th. The Feb. 7, Sunday screening will be at the Victoria Hall Theater at 6:30pm, and the Feb. 9, Tuesday screening will be at the Metro 4 Theater at 10:45am. A Q&A with directors Joe Dietsch and Kristin Jordan will follow after both screenings.
Film Crew
Joe Dietsch
Joe's been making movies since he was six years old, starting with a Hi8 camera,
his friends, and Legos. Throughout high school, he worked with the LifeChronicles
organization, filming and editing documentaries about the lives of terminally
ill people. He recently graduated from Chapman University's film department
and is currently working in Los Angeles as a director/editor on music videos,
commercials, and short films. He is currently cutting the ASK documentary
after a month long stay. joedietsch.com
Kristin Jordan
Growing up in Atlanta, Georgia, producer Kristin
Jordan discovered her love of film in the late 1990s as Turner Entertainment’s
first high school intern. After
receiving her B.S. and B.A. from CU Boulder, Kristin moved to Los Angeles to
pursue her Masters in Journalism at USC. She produced, shot & edited
several documentaries for USC’s award-winning cable television news magazine,
including Joshua Tree: A Place of Solitude about Joshua Tree Park being
on the Top 10 Endangered National Park list for the three consecutive year. She
also filmed an independent documentary titled Hlabisa: An Unbroken Spirit about
the daily struggles of the inhabitants of a remote, poverty stricken village
that’s the epicenter of the AIDS epidemic in South Africa. kristinjordan.com
Video highlights from the Spring 2009
Speaker Program at Esiteti School
