Thank You for the Rain

Curator
David N.M. Mbora, Associate Professor of Biology and Environmental Science, Whittier College

Why I selected this film

Thank You for the Rain is a compelling firsthand account of the effects of climate change through the eyes of some of the most vulnerable people on the planet. As a portrayal of one man’s resolute efforts, the film demonstrates that ordinary people do have agency to confront climate change. Indeed, Kisilu’s video diaries, which are embedded throughout the film, are especially evocative. The diaries give a face—or faces, actually—to those who are on the front lines of climate change, allowing them to share their experiences in their own voices and showcase how they are fighting back. This is a timely production.

Teacher's guide:  Is it weather or is it climate change? 

The distinction between weather and climate is crucial to appreciating  what climate change really is. Please see the teacher's guide for maps, background information, activities, and discussion questions that explore this subject.

Synopsis

Thank You for the Rain is a collaborative film made by Kisilu Musya, a Kenyan farmer, climate fighter, and video diarist, and Julia Dahr, a Norwegian filmmaker. For five years, Kisilu used his camera to capture the lives of his family members, the atmosphere of his village, and the impact of climate change in Kenya.

In addition to filming floods, droughts, and storms, he documented the real human costs of the climate crisis: His kids are sent home from school when he can’t pay the fees because of a failed harvest. Men are moving from their villages to towns in search of work. Food supplies are pinched, and family tensions are rising. Despite these hardships, Kisilu emerges as an activist, organizing his community to plant trees to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change.

 

Excerpts:  If time is short

Three excerpts with a total running time of 21 minutes are also included for viewing if time is short. These clips provide a more tightly focused introduction to the impact of climate change on subsistence farming throughout East Africa. The clips can be accessed via the Clips tab, above.

The environmental justice focus of the film

Thank You for the Rain delivers a clear and urgent message. The people who suffer the worst effects of climate change are the ones who have contributed little, or nothing at all, to it. To make matters worse, these are the people who are most vulnerable and have the least means to mitigate its impact and adapt to the change.

Download the transcript (PDF)

Download the teacher's guide for Thank You for the Rain (PDF)

—

Citation

Main credits

Dahr, Julia (film director)
Dahr, Julia (screenwriter)
Dahr, Julia (filmmaker)
Hartford, Hugh (film producer)
Hartford, Hugh (screenwriter)
Musaya, Kisilu (on-screen participant)
Musaya, Kisilu (filmmaker)
Kisilu, Christina Wayua (on-screen participant)

Other credits

Director of photography, Julie Lunde Lilles©¦ter; editor, Adam Thomas; composer, Chris White.

Distributor credits

Producer: Hartford, Hugh

Director: Dahr, Julia

Main credits

Dahr, Julia (film director)
Dahr, Julia (screenwriter)
Dahr, Julia (filmmaker)
Hartford, Hugh (film producer)
Hartford, Hugh (screenwriter)
Musaya, Kisilu (on-screen participant)
Musaya, Kisilu (filmmaker)
Kisilu, Christina Wayua (on-screen participant)

Other credits

Director of photography, Julie Lunde Lillesæter; editor, Adam Thomas; composer, Chris White.