Video 24th November, 2021

Aphra Evans

Rooted in Bristol is a homegrown documentary that looks at land inequality through the lens of Black and Afro-Caribbean food growers in Bristol.

The film is the brainchild of Annie Menter, director of Afrika Eye Film Festival, born from conversations held with friends on her own allotment in Ashley Vale. It also draws on the research of her co-director Manu Maunganidze, who works as a diversity consultant in the sustainability sector.

As Manu says in his voiceover: “Land is wealth. Land is power.” Houses nearer green spaces tend to be more expensive, and urban green spaces are thought to have a positive effect on air pollution levels. But some 40% of people from minority ethnic backgrounds in the UK live in the most green-deprived areas, compared to 14% of white people. On top of this, children from minority ethnic backgrounds are half as likely to visit the countryside as their white counterparts.

With the pandemic throwing into sharp relief how important access to nature is for mental and physical well-being, while also creating further pressures in Bristol to develop housing on any land going, Rooted in Bristol sparks an important conversation at a fitting time. In this video, the filmmakers behind the documentary speak not only about the film itself, but also on pertinent questions of history and ownership.

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