RAFIKI
A queer Romeo and Juliet romance set against the bustling streets of Nairobi.
Sunday 24 March Picture House doors 2.30pm, film 3.00pm
Directed by Wanuri Kahiu | Kenya | 82 mins | English with some Swahili | 15
Followed by Q&A with lead actress Sheila Munyiva
Banned in Kenya except for a brief period to allow its nomination for the Foreign Oscar, Rafiki is the 1st Kenyan feature to ever premiere at Cannes. Set against the backdrop of the bustling streets of Nairobi, two very different young women must choose between love and safety. Like an Afro-lesbian Romeo and Juliet they try to hide their relationship from their politically opposing fathers and families. With its eye-popping aesthetic of fuschia and bubblegum and joyful energy providing a defiant counterbalance to the usual stories of famine and war, Rafiki announces the arrival of a major talent in Wanuri Kahiu and a correction of how we view Africa.
DIRECTOR: WANURI KAHIU
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Director Wanuri Kahiu is part of a strong cohort of Kenyan female filmmakers who are determined to re-frame the narratives coming out of Africa. The vibrant candy coloured Rafiki is the global calling card of their emerging genre of AFROBUBBLEGUM. A genre coined by herself and her collective as “fun, fierce, and frivolous” and defined as a combination of the Bechdel Test (“there are at least two women who talk to each other about something other than a man”) with an African Bechdel Test (“Are two or more Africans healthy? Are those same Africans financially stable and not in need of saving? Are they having fun and enjoying life?”). The multi-talented writer, director, and producer Kahiu has already been tapped by British outfit Working Title, to direct Covers a new film for Universal Studios.
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SHEILA MUNYIVA
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We are delighted to feature a Q&A with Sheila Munyiva. Sheila burst onto the international scene at Cannes in 2018 with her standout role as the lead actress in Rafiki. An actor, writer, director and producer, she has produced and directed numerous shows for Kenya’s Nation Media Group. She recently wrote and directed Kenyan children’s program The Krazy Kool Show for Zuku. Her biggest addiction is working, creating and writing scripts.
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