Reihe Feministischer Film RAFIKI

Feminist Film Series
RAFIKI
Director: Wanuri Kahiu
Kenya/France/Belgium 2018, 83 min., original version in Swahili with German subtitles, Blu-ray screening
Starring: Samantha Mugatsia, Sheila Munyiva, Jimmi Gathu, Nini Wacera, Dennis Musyoka, Patricia Amira, Neville Misati, Muthoni Gathecha, Nice Githinji, Charlie Karumi

“Good Kenyan girls make good Kenyan wives”—Kena learns early on what is expected of girls and women in her home country: to be well-behaved and submit to the will of men. As a result, her single mother is blamed for her husband leaving her for a younger woman. But the self-assured Kena won’t let anyone dictate how she should live her life. So she befriends the pretty Ziki, even though their fathers are political rivals. At first, the girls don’t care about the neighborhood gossip. But when Kena and Ziki fall in love, they must choose between the supposed safety of hiding their love and the chance for their happiness together.

RAFIKI means “friend” in Swahili and is the first Kenyan film to be screened at the Cannes Film Festival. In Kenya itself, where homosexuality is still a criminal offense, the film was initially banned from screening; the ban was only lifted after the director filed a lawsuit. Based on the award-winning short story “Jambula Tree” (2008) by Ugandan author Monica Arac de Nyeko, RAFIKI tells the story of African youth who resolutely rebel against homophobia, religious dogma, and parental strictness.

Admission: 7,-
Tickets available in advance at the store and at the Box Office.
Hours: Tue–Sat 2:00–9:00 p.m.