It's Us
Kenya
|
2013
|
Color
|
92 min
This directory compiles the glossaries from all editions of Cines del Sur: eleven already held and the twelfth currently underway. It serves as a living memory of the festival, its films, guests, sections, and spaces for reflection on the cinemas of Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Arab world. Here you can trace the evolution of its programming, rediscover filmmakers, and follow the thematic threads that have defined Cines del Sur's identity as a meeting point for cultures, perspectives, and ways of understanding cinema from the Global South.
It's Us was initially conceived as a play in response to the post-election violence of 2008. It was performed by SAFE Ghetto in Nairobi's poorest slums and in Kenya's mountainous regions. The film is a typical portrait of the Kenyan community: a harmonious mix of tribes, endogamous marriages, and extended families; friends who have lived and worked together their entire lives and don't give much importance to the tribe their neighbors come from. However, elections are approaching, and a local politician sees an opportunity to win votes by instilling fear in society. Racist rumors begin to spread, distrust starts to set in, and friends begin to turn their backs on each other. Rapidly, the situation seems irreversible. Or is it? With this feature film, English director Nick Reding explores civic strength and responsibility.
Technical Details
Direction:
Nick Reding
Cinematography:
Joan Poggio
Language:
Swahili
Production:
Krysteen Savane, Kamau Wa Ndung’u, Nick Reding
Art Direction:
Dickson Kaloki
Sound:
David Kinyanjui Kabash, Sanaa Zote Productions
Subtitles:
English and Spanish
Screenplay:
Nick Reding
Editing:
Carole Gikandi Omondi
Cast:
Joseph Babu Wairimu (Jabali), Mercy Wanjiru (Nene), Edna Daisy (Zippy), Triza Musimbi (Maria), Ali Mlatso (Alfayo), Paul Peter Kadez (Jemo), Umi Rajab (Kate)
Director
Nick Reding
Born in London in 1962. In 2001, after experiencing the process of helping to build a pediatric clinic for HIV/AIDS treatment in Mombasa, he founded SAFE (Sponsored Arts for Education). Aware of the urgent need to educate the community, Reding created Mombasa's first theater company through SAFE, aiming to address the scourge of silence and discrimination surrounding the disease. He has also directed two short films, Kandanda and Huruma, and the award-winning HIV film, Ndoto Za Elibidi, also produced with SAFE. Before moving to Kenya, Reding was a professional actor; his numerous film and television appearances include Croupier, The Constant Gardener, Soul Boy, Silent Witness, Judge John Deed, and The Bill. He currently lives in Nairobi. It's Us, his most recent film, premiered at the Durban International Film Festival.
