A Blooming Business

Holland is famous for its flowers. In addition to its own tulips it imports shiploads of roses from African flower farms. Behind the floral symbol of romance and love lurk horrific phenomena.

In his poetic documentary the Dutch Ton von Zantvoort depicts the people of Kenya’s most important flower city, Naivasha. By following the lives of several former and current employees he paints a brutal image of the reality of the flower farms. The business, worth 400 million euros a year, is based on exploitation: employees without rights, environmental crime, polluted waters, safety hazards and even rape.

These stories are sad messages of powerlessness and disappointment from the other side of an unequal world. A local documentary maker brings counterbalance to the story as he presents secretly filmed footage from the farms. Destiny is also in people’s own hands.

Susanna Okker │Translation by Maria Koistinen