Kenyan director-producer-writer Wanuri Kahiu’s first feature, “From A Whisper,” was based on the real-life events surrounding the U.S. Embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam in 1998. Her other credits include “For Our Land” and “Pumzi.” She is the co-founder of AFROBUBBLEGUM, a media company that supports, creates, and commissions fun, fierce, and frivolous African art.
“Rafiki” will premiere at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival on September 6.
W&H: Describe the film for us in your own words.
WK: “Rafiki” is a witty, mischievous, and touching portrait of a community forever affected by a love which blossoms between two adolescent girls. It is a film about innocence and first love which asks the question, “Would you travel toward love at the risk of your own safety?”
W&H: What drew you to this story?
WK: I have always wanted to tell a modern African love story. Growing up, we rarely saw films of young Africans in love. We watched many Europeans and Americans fall in love on our screens over and over, but never us. I was in my late teens when I saw a young African couple kiss onscreen, and I still remember the thrill, surprise, and wonder — and how the film disrupted my ideas of romance. Before then, that kind of affection was reserved for foreigners.
When I read Monica Arac de Nyeko’s “Jambula Tree,” I knew it was the story I wanted to tell. Her characters were familiar — they were messy, joyful, curious, courageous, and full of radical hope. “Jambula Tree” then became the inspiration behind a Nairobi love story full of innocence, wonder, and the softness of first love.
W&H: What do you want people to think about when they are leaving the theater?
WK: Love is eternal, courageous, and filled with hope. Perhaps we do not choose love, but if love finds us worthy, it chooses us and presses us to reveal who we truly are.
W&H: What was the biggest challenge in making the film?
WK: Same-sex relationships are criminalized in Kenya, with a jail sentence of up to 14 years. Over the past five years in developing this film, we have seen worrying developments in the anti-LGBTI climate in East Africa, with local films and international TV shows being banned because of their LGBTI content. We knew that making this film meant challenging deeply rooted cynicism. We asked the cast to think carefully about their decision to participate in this film and talk to their families and support systems before agreeing to take on their roles.
We knew that making this film would require creating a space of incredible trust and honesty which had a non-judgmental attitude. We welcomed LGBT crew members to work with us, and it created a feeling of acceptance, kindness, and candor.
Making “Rafiki” initiated conversations about love, choice, and freedom with the cast, crew, and our families. It taught us all to talk about freedom — not just the freedom to love, but the freedom to create stories about taboo subjects.
W&H: How did you get your film funded? Share some insights into how you got the film made.
WK: It took seven years to get financing. We applied for grants and film financing mostly from Europe. We got rejected, asked questions, learned from our mistakes, and applied again. We applied to some grants three times before being successful. At every point, we were brave enough to listen to feedback to see if it could help to improve the story. Many times it did.
W&H: What inspired you to become a filmmaker?
WK: I was 16 when I walked into a film and TV company in Kenya, and it was the first time I realized that making film and TV was an option. It had never occurred to me before that, but the moment I saw that it was possible, I realized that I had found my calling, which I have pursued ever since. I can’t imagine doing anything else.
W&H: What’s the best and worst advice you’ve received?
WK: The worst advice I received was to play it safe, agree with the voices of dissent, and be smaller. This has often been repeated to me by my friends and family since the creation of “Rafiki.” The best advice I received was that people want to work with good people, so it helps not only to excel at your craft, but to be kind, joyful, and generous of spirit.
W&H: What advice do you have for other female directors?
WK: In 2018 in Cannes, I walked with 82 other women up the red carpet as representatives of female filmmakers who have had their films play in competition in Cannes. Eighty-two is such a small number compared to the thousands of men who have marched up those steps. The only way forward for us is to support, cheer on, and make space for each other.
W&H: Name your favorite woman-directed film and why.
WK: One of my favorite woman-directed films is “The Adopted” by Mélanie Laurent. Laurent has the wonderful ability to make love tactile and is able to bring us into the relationships of the characters she creates. The film brings you into the relationships of the people not as audience members, but as participants in the love and angst of the characters. She has the amazing ability to put us inside the film and almost feel the caress of the characters against our own skin.
Another of my favorite woman-directed films is “Map of the Sounds of Tokyo” by Isabel Coixet. The story in the film was unexpectedly sexy, dark, and twisted. It is a film about an assassin who falls in love with her mark. I was unexpectedly fascinated by the character Coixet created, and her ability to draw me into her personal world.
W&H: Hollywood and the global film industry are in the midst of undergoing a major transformation. What differences have you noticed since the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements launched?
WK: I have noticed a wonderful, stunning, and long-awaited reckoning of bad behavior, painful utterances, and unrestrained privilege. I have noticed the push for better work etiquette, and the beginning of much-needed conversations about comfortable environments for women and non-binary people to exist and thrive. I am so grateful for the voices and courage that the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements have inspired.
