Cotton Work

Cotton for the world - about cotton farmers in northern Uganda

The insect whisperers of Nairobi

From the autumn armyworm to rice moths - the list of insects that destroy many tonnes of crop in African countries every year is long. In Nairobi, scientists are researching biological ways to put a stop to the insects.

Runway mit Modells Kollektion Black Sun Berlin Fashion Week 2024

Rebekka Ruétz „Black Sun“ – Fashion Week 2024

Boldly sculpted eyeliner, tightly combed back hair, dressed in heavy organic cotton fabrics from Uganda in a soft natural tone, black and white canvas and light blue poplin. This is how designer Rebekka Ruétz presents her ‘Black Sun’ collection on the catwalk at Fashion Week 2024 in Berlin.

Steve G, ein Mitarbeiter der Gulu Agricultural Development Asoociation, sichtet die Baumwolle, die vor der Verarbeitung in einem Lagerhaus aufbewahrt wird. / Steve G, an employee at Gulu Agricultural Development Asoociation sifts through the cotton as it kept in a warehouse before processing.

Cotton Work Stories

Esther Mbabazi is the filmmaker and photographer behind our Cotton Work Stories. The first pictures I saw of her were from her photo documentary This Time We Are Young – a portrait of growing up in Africa, the youngest continent in the world. 60 per cent of Africans are under 25 years old. When Esther, […]

Cotton from Gulu in Berlin

Acaye Christopher has only a vague idea of what happens to his cotton. He often sees the large pressed cotton bales being loaded onto trucks, but he is unaware of where they are delivered. Ato Evaline’s ideas are only slightly more precise. It will probably be made into clothing, and she has also seen “Cotton […]

BACKGROUND

Cotton Work in the Gulu region – a story from East Africa.

Few stories have fascinated us as much in recent years as that of the Gulu Agricultural Development Company (GADC) in northern Uganda. For almost 20 years, war raged in the region between the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and the Ugandan army. The rebel group displaced more than two million people, abducted thousands of children and committed numerous atrocities...

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Stefan Rennicke on a cotton cooperative in northern Uganda.

The documentary project COTTON WORK

Kameramann macht Filmaufnahmen zur Doku Cotton Work / Cameraman films Cotton Work documentary

The Documentation

Cotton Work is a film project that portrays the farmers of the Gulu Agricultural Development Company (GADC) and the cooperative itself in three short documentaries and places them in the context of the region’s eventful history.

Treffen von Frauen der Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLA) in Nord-Uganda. / Meeting of women from the Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLA) in Northern Uganda.

Background

Junge Baumwollfarmerin geht durch ihre Felder in Cheke, Bezirk Nwoja. / Young cotton farmer walking through her fields in Cheke, Nwoja district.

Stories (Blog)

‘Cotton Work Stories’ shows the background to the documentary, introduces the people behind it and shows the development of the Gulu region. What connection is there to our lives in Europe and what new challenges are facing the region? Find out more about the fascinating stories and protagonists in this documentary.