“We are all caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied to a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one affects all.”
Nancy A One Girl Revolution
A Feature Documentary and Impact Campaign
Nancy, is a charismatic and fearless breaker of her tribe’s taboos. A young leader in her own area of North Western Kenya, she wants equality for girls. For Nancy this means education, freedom from abuse and the eradication of child marriage and Female Genital Mutilation. It is her mission to encourage others to follow her example. Nancy A One Girl Revolution is a feature documentary which began telling Nancy's story in 2013 during the "Cutting Season" in Northern Kenya. (See the "Extract for Event Screening" in the film gallery above for a glimpse of the longer story. This extract of the feature documentary was shown by Nancy herself at a Commonwealth Event hosted by Rt Hon Patricia Scotland QC called "Empowering girls and women: the role of Health and Education in Eliminating Violence Against Women)
Nancy's story is unique because there are very few feminist heroines (whose lives are recorded) in such remote places over so many years. Her story will make the lives of millions of women who live in remote African rural villages more visible and, we hope change how girls living in mud huts and rural villages are viewed forever. All the key moments of Nancy’s life during the last 6 years are captured on film as events unfold, giving her story the drama, jeopardy and excitement of a fictional film. Yet it is a true story. The film covers Nancy's childhood resistance, her mission to save other girls, speaking at the United Nations, childbirth, her challenges marching across her tribal territory for change and meeting with the granddaughter of a famous Suffragette. The feature documentary includes extracts from the award winning film I Will Never Be Cut (shown below) which captured Nancy as she resisted being cut in 2010. After being saved, she pledged before the chiefs and officials of her tribe that she would be an example for others to follow. Nancy A One Girl Revolution is her story, arising out of that original pledge.
How Story Has Impact
Storytelling is the most powerful tool to shift social norms within cultures with strong oral traditions. The use of tales of inspirational characters recounted through drama and song as tools for transformation and education is part of the African way of life. Like ripples from a stone thrown into water, each girl can impact other girls and as ripples join other ripples a movement for change becomes unstoppable. We believe the story of the transformation of both Nancy and her tribe can have a domino effect in the region and beyond, spreading the message and inspiring others to follow, girl by girl, village by village, tribe by tribe and beyond. Nancy A One Girl Revolution is about this change - one girl at a time. Leading to a girl revolution!
I Will Never Be Cut (Nancy's story of resistance, 2010)
I Will Never Be Cut, is the first short film Sara made about Nancy's resistance to FGM in 2010. Sara directed, produced and shot it. The 30 min film was broadcast on Al Jazeera and The Guardian in 2011 and had widespread impact. It won two Webby Awards (People and Judges Choice) and was finalist for The Rory Peck Sony Impact Prize. To watch Nancy's earlier story of resistance please see below (Please accept our apology for the size format -it is being corrected asap). Please navigate to the website devoted to her feature documentary & Impact Campaign for more information about Nancy, the girls she has saved and our project: Nancy A One Girl Revolution's website.
