As the nonprofit partner of the Kiss the Ground movie, we are grateful for the role the movie plays in bringing awareness to the current standing of agriculture in many countries around the globe. The movie evokes hope through stories of possibility and regeneration and provides a foundational message of unity that soil is truly our common ground. We give thanks to everyone involved in this film and the cast who shared their wisdom and knowledge.
And this is just one part of the story. There are lifetimes that came before this film. Lifetimes of beings whose care and generational wisdom are embedded in our soil and in the practices highlighted in this film.
Amongst the numerous accolades and positive reviews the movie has received, there have been ongoing conversations about the lack of cultural representation in the film, specifically the Indigenous roots of regenerative practices. We agree that this lack of representation and diversity is a big miss. We see this mistake and are working to not have it happen again. We apologize for any harm that it may have caused. We are incredibly thankful to those who have taken the time to candidly share your insights. We view your feedback as critical to ensuring the evolution of this movement to regenerate soil, which in turn regenerates society.
As an organization, our mission is to help awaken people to the possibilities of regeneration and we know this story is not just ours to tell. The momentum of regenerative practices began long before Kiss the Ground was born. In fact, regeneration in its purest, oldest form has been generationally maintained by individuals, groups, and cultures who have been systematically pushed out and are often left out of the narrative.
We are asking the question, what is the essence of regeneration? Humbly listening, learning, and practicing to take intentional steps towards healing, balance, and love. We are committed to bringing this essence to every aspect of our work, from agriculture to media and advocacy.
Currently, we are working with Big Picture Ranch, the film team who created the Kiss the Ground full-length 84-minute feature film, to finalize a shorter educational film cut, which will go deeper into the indigenous historical roots of these practices. These cuts will be distributed for free to over 100K schools in 44 countries. We are creating discussion guides to facilitate conversations that go beyond what was captured in the film to encourage deeper dialogue and we invite you to sign up for our newsletter to be the first to know when this guide is available.
We’ve also looked inward with this work. We are embarking on internal trainings to continue to uncover and work through our limiting blocks. Our intentions are to wholeheartedly serve all communities through our work and our mission. —Thank you to those who are sharing their wisdom and collaborating with us to ensure we are doing so appropriately.
We are working on ways to continue this discussion and hope you’ll stay in the conversation as we evolve in this movement together. As an organization and as individuals we ask ourselves and each other how we truly stand up for not just the soil, but all the people who stand on it. We invite you to view our commitments to diversity, equity, and healing at kisstheground.com/commitment.
We are so grateful for the hope this film has provided for us and continues to provide for so many. We trust this is the starting point to a greater awakening towards a human existence founded in reciprocity between nature and humans, one where life is regenerative and we have all fully embraced our role as caretakers of the planet and each other. May love be the bridge between us and everything.
The work and healing continue. We will keep our community updated on our progress.
With love,
