WOW FILM FESTIVAL
FILMS 2025

The Battle for Laikipia (12A)

Director: Daphne Matziaraki, Peter Murimi
Kenya/USA/Greece, 94', English, Swahili with English subtitles

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Welsh Premiere

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In Kenya’s Laikipia region, the lives of herders and landowners collide in a battle driven by climate change, colonial history, and electoral tensions. This film dives into the struggles of Simeon, a Samburu herder fighting to protect his cattle and culture from encroaching electric fences, and Maria, a descendant of British colonists, who views her land as a legacy to preserve. Their opposing worlds—one focused on ancestral ties to the soil, the other on modern landownership—are explored with a deep sense of empathy, offering a nuanced perspective on the complex conflicts shaping the future of this region.

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“A powerful picture, and an important one”

- Screendaily

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 “Brilliant….Peter Murimi and Daphne Matziaraki’s illuminating documentary illustrates the symbiotic relationship between land rights and climate justice….A film that superbly demonstrates how the conflicts of the present cannot be extricated from the baggage of the past” - The Guardian

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🏆Land Sky Sea Award Winner - Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival
🏆Producers Award — Sundance 2024
🏆Best Socio-Environmental Award - 39th Guadalajara International Film Festival