Rafiki

2018, 83 minutes

“Good Kenyan girls become good Kenyan wives”, is what Kena and Ziki have heard all their young lives. And that getting a mortgage is the dream of every normal Kenyan. But Kena and Ziki want more. They want adventure and real love, not a dull existence as an obedient wife in the suburbs. It’s not until they fall in love with one another that they find out just how conservative the world around them really is. The relationship between these two young women forms the warm, beating heart of this sparkling, colourful film. 

‘Afrobubblegum’ is what director Wanuri Kahiu calls her style, and the production company of which she is co-founder. In the words of the young maker, this stands for “fun, fierce and frivolous African art”. Like its two protagonists, this film had to overcome considerable resistance after being banned by Kenyan censors. Kahiu contested this decision and finally won in the Kenyan High Court.

Credits

Themes
Family, Freedom of speech and expression, Identity, LGBTQ+, Women's rights, Youth and children's rights
Suitable for
mbo - niveau 1 & 2
mbo - niveau 3 & 4
vmbo b/k - leerjaar 3 & 4
vmbo t - leerjaar 3 & 4
Director
Wanuri Kahiu
Country of production
Kenya, France, Netherlands, The, Germany, Norway, Lebanon
Type
Fiction
Duration
83 minutes
Year
2018