I Am Because We Are

‘I am because we are’, a phrase by Archbishop of Cape Town Desmond Tutu, expresses a central tenet in African philosophy, namely that we are all interconnected and that individuals must take responsibility for the fate of their communities. Taking responsibility is the focal point of Nathan Rissman’s and Madonna’s documentary on Malawi, the small Eastern African country plagued by dire poverty and the AIDS pandemic that has claimed thousands of lives leaving behind over a million orphans in a population of 12 million. Produced, written and presented by Madonna, who is also the co-founder of the Raising Malawi NGO, I Am Because We Are is frank, unsentimental account of the plight of the Malawi people. The film was featured at the Cannes and Tribeca Film Festivals.

Director: Nathan Rissman

Screenwriter: Madonna

Cinematography: Kevin Brown, Grant James, Nathan Rissman, Marc Shap, John Martin White

Editing: Danny Tull

Featuring: Bill Clinton, Desmond Tutu, Jeffrey Sachs, Paul Farmer