Bird's Eye View

An Interview with Top Kenyan Director Wanuri Kahiu

Wanuri Kahiu

Birds Eye View are very happy to be screening Wanuri Kahiu’s award-winning From a Whisper as part of our festival.  The film explores a family’s experience of the US Embassy bombing in Nairobi in 1998. Our Senior Programmer, Emily Seed, was lucky enough to catch up with Wanuri for a chat.

Catch From a Whisper today (Wednesday 10th March) & tomorrow (Thursday 11th March) at the ICA. Wanuri’s doc Wangari Maathai: For Our Land will be screened at the ICA tomorrow as part of our Kenyan Double Bill.

ES: From A Whisper explores the horror and aftermath of the biggest terrorist action Africa has seen, the bombing of the US Embassy in Nairobi in 1998. Do you remember this happening? You must have been a young teenager, how did it affect you and your family at the time?

WK: The bomb was a horrific and traumatic event for Kenya. I was home when it happened and far from the actual site, however, my mother who is a doctor had to treat the multiple patients who came in. Despite the horror of it, it was also a time that many Kenyans came together depite ethnicity, social status or tribe. It brought us together. Sad but true.

ES: There are several shocking twists in your film - without giving them away, please could you tell us if the story is all based on what you found out in your research, or is there added dramatic licence in the narrative?

WK: The film was based on real events. However, the people, the characters and the situations were all fictional. Like in any story, the author embelishes the truth to make it more dramatic. And cut out some of the stranger than fiction real events that happened. A lot of what I found about the people from research was kept, including a line by a woman who has never recovered from the death of her husband. She said when interviewed ‘I forgot how to trust life’. We kept that line in the film.

ES: The actress who plays the lead, Tamani, gives a brilliant

Corrine Onyango as Tamani

fusion of grief, confusion, teenage rebellion and vulnerability in her performance. How did you cast her?

WK: Tamani took the longest time to cast. We had looked for months before we found her. I called her sister, who is a friend of mine and asked her for advice. She recommended Corrine. And when Corrine Onyango came in for the auditions, we knew she was the perfect fit! She did an amazing job with the character. It was a pleasure to work with her. It was her debut film and we all hope there will be more to come for her.

ES: You’ve previously worked in Hollywood on the remake of The Italian Job, and Phillip Noyce’s Catch A Fire. How were those experiences for you? Were you tempted to stay there and work in the US industry?

WK: I worked as an intern in F. Gary Gray’s (the director of the film) office for  The Italian Job. He is an amazing story teller with a meticulous eye for detail. He taught me to keep an eye on the bigger picture but not to take the details for granted. I am loyal to him a thousand times over. Philip Noyce became one of my closest friends as a result of working with him. He has been and continues to be a great supporter, friend, confidante. He really taught me the art of storytelling and perserverance. Philip more than anyone encouraged me to go home and make stories from the place my heart firmly resides. He said I need to be a local success first before becoming an interntional storyteller. I cherish his advice and I have seen the benefits. I am keen to keep telling stories about Africa that challenge the human spuirit knowing that we are all alike. We all share the same values. We all want the best for ourselves and our families despite cultural differences.

ES: We see that your new sci-fi short film Pumzi has had high-profile screenings at the Berlinale and Sundance this spring. We’re looking forward to seeing it in the UK later this year! Can you give us a taster of what it’s about?

WK: Pumzi is a science fiction film set in futuristic Africa. By this time everyone lives inside of a building because the outside is dead. Asha, a curator at the natural, virtual museum finds a seed and plants it. She escapes from the inside world into the outside world to grow it. It is a story of sacrifice and love. The film is dedicated to my niece and nephews, Ariam, Kahen and Karimi.

ES: More details about the film including the trailer can be found on the website: www.pumzithefilm.com - have a look at Wanuri’s new short, blog-readers, it looks brilliant!

Congratulations on winning four major prizes at last year’s African Movie Academy Awards! How was the night for you?

WK: It was an honor and a truly humbling experience to win at AMAA. It is important that talent is recognised and nurtured and AMAA is one of the few festivals in Africa that does that. Most recently, From A Whisper won 2 prizes at the 2010 PAN AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL in LA, Best Feature and the BAFTA-LA choice award. This is a testiment to the heart, courage and dedication of the cast and crew that made all this happen.

To book tickets for either of Wanuri Kahuis films playing at the festival click here