Rachel's Story 

Rachel Ambrose was born in Mbala, a small farming town in northern Zambia, and she grew up in East Africa between Kenya and Tanzania. At a young age, she listened to the story of her roots: a child of diaspora, her ancestors sailed Dhows from Syria to the East African coast, and stories of the French resistance, world war, and migration intrigued her curious nature to imagine the impossible possible. The art of storytelling was a gift passed from one generation to the next with a fair bit of embellishment.

 

"One of the greatest gifts we can give to another generation is our experience, our wisdom, the wisdom of an older generation.'" - Desmond Tutu, Wisdom. 

 

A graduate of Leeds University and a student of Postcolonial Literature, Rachel trained as a professional photographer mentored by Cape Town's fashion and fine art photographers Marc Stanes, Dewald Daniels, Jan Verboom, and Cameron Macdonald. In 2016, Rachel, who unearthed a life purpose in documenting stories and giving voice and justice through storytelling, chose to wander a path from writer/photographer to filmmaker. 

 

“People create stories create people; or rather stories create people create stories.” -  Chinua Achebe

 

In The Name of Your Daughter, directed by Giselle Portenier, produced and filmed by our production crew is a story of hope and courage following the journey of young girls fleeing their homes and communities to escape Female Genital Mutilation. In The Name of Your Daughter has won several documentary awards whilst touring the international festivals. It has been screened on BBC Storyville and shown in 4 parliaments in Australia, UK, The Netherlands and in the province of Alberta.

 

"Be yourself, ultimately be yourself" - Wole Soyinka.