A Cultivator Films documentary
The Maasai Dilemma
Every step toward survival pushes a people closer to losing the culture that defines them.
The central question
How do you survive in a world that demands you change—when change means losing who you are?
The Maasai are globally admired for their strength, resilience, and vibrant traditions. Behind that familiar image is a far more complex reality.
The Maasai Dilemma is an intimate documentary exploring the deeply personal struggle facing a Maasai community in modern-day Kenya. Told through the experiences of people within one village, the film moves beyond surface-level observation and into everyday life—the routines, responsibilities, joys, and uncertainties of people navigating a profound cultural crossroads.
A culture at a crossroads
Progress carries a complicated price.
Climate
Changing environmental conditions place growing pressure on the pastoral traditions that have sustained Maasai life for generations.
Identity & rights
Young people and women navigate difficult questions about opportunity, responsibility, equality, and the traditions that shape community life.
Ancestral land
Displacement and conservation policies increasingly restrict access to territory inseparable from livelihood, memory, and identity.
For the Maasai, survival may come at the cost of losing themselves.
The film’s approach
Not observation from a distance—human connection up close.
The film is told through different members of a single village, from young herders and devoted matriarchs to young women and revered elders. Each perspective reveals a personal struggle within a much larger question of cultural survival.
Cinematic imagery and deeply human storytelling invite audiences into homes, routines, relationships, and moments of uncertainty. The goal is to listen carefully, honor complexity, and allow viewers to form a genuine connection with the people behind the culture.
Where the journey began
A reality unseen.
In 2021, filmmaker Chris Tinard traveled to Kenya as a cinematographer for an NGO, eager to witness Maasai life firsthand. What he encountered stood in sharp contrast to the romanticized portrayals he had seen before.
That experience changed his perspective and sparked a commitment to tell a story of struggle, resilience, and an uncertain future in a world that leaves less and less room for this way of life.
“Without emotion, all we do is scream into the wind.”
Meet the filmmaker
Chris Tinard
Director · Producer · Cinematographer · Editor
Chris Tinard is a filmmaker drawn to authentic stories and the human connections at their center. From producing and interviewing to directing, cinematography, and editing, he brings a deeply personal commitment to every stage of the filmmaking process.
He founded OrangeScreen Productions in 2004 and has spent more than two decades creating documentaries, broadcast work, branded films, and stories for nonprofit and educational organizations. His work has received multiple Telly and Communicator Awards and three Rocky Mountain Emmy nominations.
Chris’s first visit to a Maasai village in 2021 challenged the romanticized portrayals he had seen and became the beginning of The Maasai Dilemma—a commitment to listen carefully, honor complexity, and tell this story with emotional truth.
From the filmmaker
Why this story must be told.
Go behind the project with filmmaker Chris Tinard and discover the heart, urgency, and vision driving The Maasai Dilemma.
Support the documentary
Help bring this story to the screen.
Documentary filmmaking is a labor of love—and a major undertaking. Every contribution helps move the film toward completion and a global audience.
Field production
Travel, crew, permits, equipment, and the time required to film responsibly within the community.
Post-production
Editing, translation, sound design, color, and music that shape the footage into a compelling film.
Distribution & impact
Festivals, outreach, educational engagement, and the work required to bring the story to audiences.
Eligible gifts are received and administered by The Funding Studio, Cultivator Films’ fiscal sponsor, and are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.