Wanuri Kahiu: The filmmaker redefining what African stories are allowed to be
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In our eighth episode of The African Imaginary Podcast, host Khangi Khoza talks to Kenyan film director Wanuri Kahiu about her Kenyan roots, why she invented Afrobubblegum to reclaim African joy on screen, and how she took on her own government over a banned film.
Wanuri Kahiu is a Nairobi-based filmmaker and writer whose work receives global acclaim. Her award-winning film ‘Rafiki’ was the first Kenyan film to be invited to Cannes Film Festival and has since won multiple awards across the world. Kahiu is a cultural leader for the World Economic Forum, an advocate for freedom of expression, and an ‘Afrobubblegum’ activist – championing the need for the creation and curation of fun, fierce, and frivolous African art. Kahiu is a director for the Hulu series ‘Washington Black’ (starring Sterling K. Brown), director of the Netflix film, ‘Look Both Ways’ (starring Lili Reinhart,) and is attached to direct the musical ‘Once on This Island’ for Disney.
Thank you Wanuri Kahiu for this masterclass on how to build a global film career from the continent by telling African stories.
Wanuri Kahiu is a Nairobi-based filmmaker and writer whose work receives global acclaim. Her award-winning film ‘Rafiki’ was the first Kenyan film to be invited to Cannes Film Festival and has since won multiple awards across the world. Kahiu is a cultural leader for the World Economic Forum, an advocate for freedom of expression, and an ‘Afrobubblegum’ activist – championing the need for the creation and curation of fun, fierce, and frivolous African art. Kahiu is a director for the Hulu series ‘Washington Black’ (starring Sterling K. Brown), director of the Netflix film, ‘Look Both Ways’ (starring Lili Reinhart,) and is attached to direct the musical ‘Once on This Island’ for Disney.
Thank you Wanuri Kahiu for this masterclass on how to build a global film career from the continent by telling African stories.
Chapters
- 00:00 Intro
- 01:20 Wanuri plays Keep or Toss
- 09:46 The meaning of her name
- 12:03 Childhood in Kenya
- 16:19 Perfectionism and raising girls
- 22:08 Curiosity, joy and being loved
- 27:41 Studying management science, then film at UCLA
- 33:37 Going home to Kenya
- 35:37 'Afrobubblegum'
- 40:24 Making 'Rafiki'
- 46:19 Her relationship with music
- 49:51 What 'Rafiki' did for her career
- 54:37 The ban and the constitutional fight
- 01:02:45 Telling stories of hope
- 01:07:40 Storytellers and the backstory
- 01:10:43 Belonging as her real subject
- 01:12:36 'Washington Black'
- 01:18:01 'Once on This Island'
- 01:20:40 Why Kenyan artists fight to make art
- 01:27:05 Motherhood and caring for the caretakers
- 01:35:41 Redefining success
- 01:39:02 Her icons
- 01:42:29 The future of African film
- 01:45:43 Turning Towards the Sun
- 01:47:26 Outro
