Dream Weavers

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Dream Weavers is narrated through the eyes of Ryan Klatt, a young independent filmmaker who comes across an article about green microcredits in Bangladesh while searching for a meaningful subject. The film follows Klatt from Canada to Bangladesh, using real life interviews with microcredit experts from Winnipeg's Natural Resources Institute, University of Manitoba and the Building Environmental Governance Capacity in Bangladesh (BEGCB) project. Klatt's story revolves around Putul, a woman who lives in the Hakaluki Lake area of Bangladesh. It begins when after just two years of marriage, her husband is critically injured in a clash with powerful landowners. This setback forces Putul to move back to her parents' house with her husband and only son. But it also creates an opportunity for her to imagine new beginnings. As the sole breadwinner for her family, Putul manages their survival by learning about green microcredits provided by a local NGO and becomes an entrepreneur. With the possibility of a loan, an option never before open to her, Putul is able to start a business weaving rugs using local sustainable resources. This new venture is not without obstacles, but over time it flourishes and begins to transform her life and the lives of many other women and families in the village. Dream Weavers is shot on location in Bangladesh and Canada, creating an honest view of the lives of a population typically ignored in economic development plans. There is heartache and hardship, but also hope and a renewed sense of life. Dream Weavers is a deeper look at the interconnectedness of culture, environments and the economy.