Rafiki
In Kenya, homosexuality is punishable by law. Anyone found "guilty" of this faces a prison sentence of 14 years. All the more remarkable that this film was made in Kenya, a story about the love between two young women. And not at all surprising that the film, director Wanuri Kahiu's second feature, is banned in Kenya. In Cannes, however, Rafiki was met with great enthusiasm at the 2018 film festival.
The life of the young Kenyan Kena suddenly takes a radical turn when she meets Ziki. Never before has she had such strong feelings for another person — it is love at first sight and the feeling is mutual. The problem is that love between two women is not accepted in Kenya. The girls secretly start seeing each other, but gossips soon spread. What complicates things further is the fact that Kena's father is taking part in local elections. And who is his greatest rival? Ziki's father..
Please note: on Friday 24 May, the film will be introduced by Fay Breeman, amongst other the manager of the Hubert Bals Fund (HBF) associated with the IFFR. This fund has supported filmmakers from Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and parts of Eastern Europe since 1988 in realizing and completing their film projects. Rafiki is such a film, one that caused a stir in Kenya. Breeman examines the role of the HBF and the stir.