Experiencing Interruptions?

Ubumwe: Together We Grow

Nothing brings communities together like agriculture. From gathering with a community at a farmer's market, to gathering with your family over a home cooked meal, agriculture has the ability to nourish, empower and unite people all over the world.

Extending the Link is a student-run documentary team on campus that uses film as a vehicle for social change . ETL's 9th documentary, titled Ubumwe: Together We Grow, captures the stories of women in agriculture, focusing on central Minnesota and Rwanda. Agriculture serves as a tool to improve community building, nutrition education, and economic development.

In the fall of 2015, our team met with local women farmers with various motivations, passions and backgrounds, but who share a desire to impact our food system through agriculture. Whether it be through emphasizing local agriculture, organic growing techniques, or improved access to healthy foods, each of these women have aided in making our community healthier.

Over winter break, our team traveled to Rwanda to meet with women farming cooperatives, social enterprises, nongovernmental organizations, and the Rwandan Ministry of Agriculture. Since the genocide in 1994, Rwandan women have become leaders, advocates and committed to changing the international perspective on the Rwandan people. Not only do they have the highest involvement of women in parliament in the world, but the women are also the backbone of the agricultural industry and their communities. Throughout our process of interviews we aimed to understand the economic role of agriculture in Rwanda, gender roles, and the barriers women in agriculture still face.

Upon returning to the United States we reflected on the similarities and differences between Rwandan and Minnesotan women in agriculture. We began seeing common threads of shared humanity between these two communities. Extending the Link believes that it is critical for all members of the world to look for these parallels in their everyday lives and we challenge our audience members to be agents for change in their own communities. We hope this film generates awareness on the important role women play in global agriculture, enhances relationships between consumers and farmers, and inspires people to participate in their local food movement.

  • Anna Cron
    Director
    Ger Kler: A Journey of Untold Strength; Obbasa Ain Gállit: We Continue
  • Megan Towle
    Director
    Ger Kler: A Journey of Untold Strength; Obbasa Ain Gállit: We Continue
  • Extending the Link
    Producer
    Ger Kler: A Journey of Untold Strength; Obbasa Ain Gállit: We Continue
  • George Dornbach
    Videographers
  • Jeff Johnson
    Videographers
  • Erin Beacom
    Videographers
  • Bao Khang
    Videographers
    Ger Kler: A Journey of Untold Strength; Obbasa Ain Gállit: We Continue
  • Chayce Kenny
    Script Researcher
  • Emily Nagel
    Script Editor
  • Grace Lindquist
    Script Editor
  • Brennan Lafeber
    Script Editor
  • Malia Carson
    Script Editor
  • Mai Tong Yang
    Script Editor
  • Diana Elhard
    Script Editor
    Obbasa Ain Gállit: We Continue
  • Anna Cron
    Writer
    Ger Kler: A Journey of Untold Strength; Obbasa Ain Gállit: We Continue
  • Megan Towle
    Writer
    Ger Kler: A Journey of Untold Strength; Obbasa Ain Gállit: We Continue
  • Chayce Kenny
    Writer
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Documentary, Social Justice, Agriculture, Food, Women, Culture
  • Runtime:
    27 minutes 8 seconds
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    Rwanda
  • Language:
    Other
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes
Director Biography - Anna Cron, Megan Towle

Anna Cron and Megan Towle are co-producers of the film Ubumwe: Together We Grow. Anna and Megan graduated from the College of Saint Benedict (CSB) in spring 2016. Anna studied Political Science and Latino & Latin American Studies and Megan studied Global Business Leadership and Communications. Both are passionate about social justice issues and using film as an avenue for generating awareness to people around the world. This is the third Extending the Link documentary the two have worked on together. Megan traveled to Thailand with the Extending the Link team in 2013 to capture stories of the Karen refugee population. She currently works at Optum Health. Anna is looking to volunteer abroad.

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