Unity Women's Village - Excerpt From The Connected Cup

Brooke Bierhaus

The feature-length documentary, The Connected Cup, follows the heart of coffee and tea around the world as universal means of connection. It is an intimate portrayal of how both coffee and tea are a universal language of hospitality, friendship, and connection. Documentary filmmaker and visual storyteller, Brooke Bierhaus, reveals stories of the human experience through connecting with communities and individuals in 9 countries and 9 languages throughout the film. This excerpt from the film highlights a women-only matriarchal village in Samburu, Kenya called Unity. As the filmmaker, I stayed with the women at Unity to learn more about their beadwork entrepreneurship, education opportunities , and the role of clean water in the community. The Connected Cup film narrative culminates with clean water being the "first connected cup" since it is vital to making coffee and tea around the world. This film took me 3 years to self-finance, film, and edit. To say it is an extension of my own heart is an understatement. The communities and individuals involved in the documentary are all so special to me. The women and children at Unity are a true testament to sisterhood, the human right of education, the value of working together, and how women can (and should) advocate for themselves.