Rain in a Dry Land

Anne Makepeace
U.S. / KENYA
2006, Somali/Mai Mai/English
82 minutes • Color
Production: Anne Makepeace Productions
Cinematographer: Joan Churchill
Music: Joel Goodman

SHOWTIMES:
Fri Apr 27 3:45pm IMM Screening Room (Landmark)

Wed May 2 9:45pm IMM Screening Room (Landmark)

In 2004, thirteen thousand Somali Bantu refugees realized their dream of coming to America. They are now living in fifty cities across the country, becoming the largest African group from a single minority to settle in the United States at one time. Rain in a Dry Land chronicles two years in the lives of two Somali Bantu families as they leave behind a legacy of oppression in Africa to face new challenges in a strange land.

At the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya, the refugees are stunned by what they learn about America in their “Cultural Orientation” class. As their awe and excitement grows, so does their fear. How will illiterate Muslim farmers who speak no English survive in America? Both families are dynamic, charismatic, and very different in nature. Arbai is a single mother of four with a great sense of humor despite her devastating past. Madina and her husband Aden are a volatile couple, determined to provide for their huge family but uncertain about the life that lies ahead.

Despite racism, poverty, failures of the school system, and severe culture shock, both families find ways to survive in America, and create a safe haven for their war-torn families.