Paimîye Film Screening and Discussion

All are invited to attend a special film screening and discussion of Paimîye: A Documentary on Guyana's National Flower. This film was made in partnership with Karanambu Lodge and funded by the Environmental and Epistemic Justice Initiative at Wake Forest University.

A discussion will follow with filmmaker Tara Leuvina Smith, producer Dr. Tivia Collins, Assistant Professor of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and EEJI Faculty Fellow, and Dean Corey D. B. Walker, Dean, Wake Forest School of Divinity, Director, Program in African American and African Studies, Principal Investigator, Mellon Environmental and Epistemic Justice Initiative. A reception will follow.

The trailer is available for viewing and the film description is below:

In the land of many waters, the Victoria Amazonica, or Paimîye', as it is called in the Macushi language, is Guyana’s national flower. It is a remarkable botanical wonder with deep cultural, historical, and environmental importance. This documentary investigates the importance of the Victoria Amazonica to Guyana.

We take viewers deep into the lush Rupununi region of Guyana, where the flower is protected, to the few sightings along Guyana’s coastland region, to Kew Gardens in the United Kingdom, showcasing the resilience of the Water Lily in its various habitats. From its striking flowers to its hidden root systems, the film reveals how the plant supports wildlife, inspires folklore, and relies on ongoing conservation practices for its survival. The film also tackles the common confusion in Guyana between the Water Lily and the Lotus, two beloved aquatic species in the country, tracing how that mix-up began. Through interviews with indigenous experts, scientists and conservationists, the documentary maps the story, survival and significance of Paimîye'.