Mbambu and the Mountains of the Moon

Mbambu is a sixteen-year-old girl who lives at the foot of the Rwenzori Mountains in Uganda. She is also an actress, an aspiring mountain guide and hopes to be the first in her family to complete secondary school. These are significant ambitions for anyone; in Uganda, they are nearly unheard of for a young girl. If Mbambu becomes a guide in the Rwenzoris—an impressive accomplishment in its own right because the mountains reach to nearly 17,000 feet–she would break all sorts of cultural and societal barriers for women in West Uganda. As this film tells the story of a hopeful Bakonzo girl, it also examines a culture transitioning from harmful poaching practices into more sustainable livelihoods. Mbambu is one of five projects to receive our inaugural Mountainfilm Commitment Grant. We are thrilled to bring directors Natasa and Lucian Muntean (Mountainfilm 2009, Journey of a Red Fridge) to Telluride for the film’s North American premiere.