The Constant Gardener

On Friday night, a movie night as a fundraiser for Heather S who heads off in July to Zambia as a volunteer at Mwandi Village, working with the Orphans and Vulnerable Children's project. The film was 'The Constant Gardener' based on John Le Carre's novel of the same name. The plot revolves around the unethical practices of drug companies in Africa and is both intriguing and challenging. Some of the filming happened in Kenya and it is interesting to note that the film crew contributed to the local community in practical ways as this news item below shows.

Award-winning film sparks charity mission for Kenyan slum dwellers
Nairobi (ENI). "The Constant Gardener", an award winning film shot in Kibera, one of Africa's largest shanty towns near Nairobi, has inspired a charity that hopes to improve the conditions of an estimated 800 000 Kenyans living in deprivation.
"The residents remember happily the few days the production was being done here," the Rev. Samuel Machugu, a Presbyterian minister serving in Kibera told Ecumenical News International. The team that shot the film directed by Brazilian Fernando Meirelles built toilets, shower blocks, three 10 000 litre water tanks, a bridge, and a level playing ground to allow children to play safely. The projects were undertaken by a charity, The Constant Gardener Trust, set up by some of the filmmakers, including Simon Channing Williams, the film's British producer.