Nairobi Half Life
Kenya
|
2012
|
Color
|
96 min
Mwas, a young aspiring actor from rural Kenya who dreams of one day becoming an accomplished actor, arrives in Nairobi, the city of opportunities, with the goal of fulfilling his dream. He soon understands why Nairobi is known as "Nai-robbery," as he is quickly stripped of his money and belongings, leaving him alone in a city where he knows no one. Luck, or the lack thereof, leads Mwas to come face to face with the city's criminals, and he befriends a small-time thief who tricks him. Mwas finds himself immersed in a world of crime while struggling to achieve his dream of becoming an actor. Keeping these two worlds separate becomes a challenge for Mwas. This is the story of a young man who, despite all odds, perseveres in pursuing his dream.
Technical Details
Direction:
David ‘Tosh’ Gitonga
Cinematography:
Christian Almesberger
Music:
Xaver von Treyer
Language:
Swahili, Kikuyu, and English
Production:
Tom Tykwer, One Fine Day Films, Ginger Ink Films
Art Direction:
Naia Barrenechea
Sound:
Mercy Adundo, Stefan Fendrich, Lawrence Kivondo
Subtitles:
English and Spanish
Screenplay:
Potash Charles Matathia, Samuel Munene, Serah Mwihaki
Editing:
Mkaiwawi Mwakaba
Cast:
Olwenya Maina (Oti), Joseph Wairimu (Mwas), Nancy WanjikuKaranja (Amina), Mugambi Nthiga (Cedric), Paul Ogola (Mose)
Director
David ‘Tosh’ Gitonga
Popularly known as Tosh, he was born in a small town called Nanyuki, Kenya, in 1981. He studied at the Kenya Institute of Marketing, graduating with a degree in Marketing in 2003. During his studies, he completed an internship at Baraka Films production company. There, he was introduced to the world of cinema and worked on his first feature film, Dangerous Affair, in 2002, as a production assistant. Tosh continued to work on several other productions as an assistant director: Afrika, mon amour (2006), Malooned (2007), Garden of Eden (2007), and The First Grader (2009). In 2010, he enrolled in the One Fine Day Film Workshop, where he was selected to direct his first feature film, Nairobi Half Life, under the supervision of Tom Tykwer. The film was selected to represent Kenya in the Best Foreign Language Film category at the Academy Awards.
