Kenyan film in race for Oscars slot

At first was some confusing release thrown in by the Kenya Film Commission, the agency that advises the government on the audio-visual sector, announcing newly released film Nairobi Half Life had been nominated for the Oscars.

But that was quickly revised by the Kenya Oscars Committee, mandated to pick Kenya’s entries to the annual academy awards.

Early this week, the big announcement, in the US, finally confirmed the Kenyan film shot by rookies, on a shoestring budget compared to Hollywood blockbusters, was on the list of films seeking nominations.

“Nairobi Half Life, directed by David “Tosh” Gitonga, will compete with films from 70 other countries for the five nominations in this category,” the release confirmed.

The list of nominees will be announced on January 10, while the Oscars will be awarded at a Hollywood ceremony on February 24.

Also listed is a South African film, the only other sub-Saharan entry for the academy’s consideration in this year’s foreign-language category.

Just like South Africa’s film Tsotsi, that eventually won an Oscar in 2006, Nairobi Half Life is competing on the best foreign-language film category.

It is told in a mishmash of Nairobi languages dissecting the city’s diversity, challenges and opportunities.

The unpretentious film tells a typical Kenyan story many youthful Kenyans will easily identify with, in an engaging way.

Mwas is at a stage of his life where he must make decisions. Travelling to the city, often associated with opportunities, is one of the options. But there are fears both from his mother and inner-self.

His adventurous side drives the confident actor into the unfamiliar jungle, Nairobi. In the city, temptations and tribulations come his way but that doesn’t break his spirit.

Instead, he moves from adversity- working with criminal gangs and in the hands of police- to triumph when he gets chance to inspire audiences through his role in a play.

Starring Joseph Wairimu, Olwenya Maina, Nancy Wanjiku Karanja, it is a reflection on Kenya written by Serah Mwihaki, Charles “Potash” Matathia, and Samuel Munene under the supervision of Billy Kahora.

The DW-Akadamie, One Fine Day Films and Ginger Ink put together the initiative supported by the German Federal ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, the Filmstiftung Nordrhein-Westfalen, the Goethe-Institut Kenya and ARRI Film- & TV Services.

Earlier, the same partnership, with generous input from the leading German detractor Tom Tykwer created another highly successful film Soul Boy, co-directed by Hawa Essuman that won several awards from across the world.

Just like Soul Boy, Nairobi Half Life sounds like another metaphor: A young ambitious group of young Kenyans, trying to live their dreams but have to jump through high hurdles to get there.

In Soul Boy Abila is concerned about the state of his father, who seems to have lost his soul. In Nairobi Half Life, Mwas defies all the odds to land his ambition.

Here, there are two generations, the old order and the new, that are put in contest, suggesting the two forces that rule Kenyan and what direction these writers prescribe. Clearly, sacrifices must be made, as the two stories suggest.

Commercially, Nairobi Half Life and Soul Boy highlights potential of Kenyan movies that if tapped could boost the industry’s chances.

Unlike South African and Nigeria, two African countries whose productions are making ripples across the world, Kenya’s are yet to, both in local cinemas and mass market.

But recent studies on the Kenyan industry suggest a small boost, in terms of skills and productions budgets to improve quality, could be all what Kenyan filmmakers need to pull crowds. The German boost proves this in both cases.