We Rise for Our Land

The criminalisation of social movements in Southern Africa has become a major area of concern, as land activists and smallholder farmers face increasing repression from national governments and corporate interests. Focusing on Mozambique, Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), and Zambia, We Rise for Our Land seeks to address these issues and gain an understanding of why activists continue to be harassed by the state despite the existence of numerous legal frameworks that promise and promote basic human dignity. Given the history of colonialism and post-colonialism in the region, the fair and humane distribution of land and its impact on traditional agricultural systems remains a major flashpoint, one that has in many ways intensified under a model of globalised capitalism. The film talks to local activists about their struggles for autonomy and self-sustainability as well as the gendered nature of land ownership and the impact of industrial mining on agriculture and society.