First Kenyan Sci-Fi film Screened At The Sundance Film Festival

The first Kenyan sci-fi film PUMZI screened at the Sundance film festival from 22 to 30 January. The film was part of the New Africa Cinema Program funded by Focus Features' Africa First short film program.

PUMZI (the Kiswahili word for breath,) is a dystopian film set in South Africa and Kenya. The story follows an East African woman as she leaves her isolated community 35 years after World War III to plant a seed in the barren earth that has been plagued by drought and deforestation. In her vision of the future, "water wars" have forced East African communities to live in complete seclusion. The plot touches upon concepts such as climate change and the recent droughts in Kenya, which make the subject matter extremely relevant.

Because science fiction is a genre that has been absent from African cinema, PUMZI challenges both the filmmakers and the viewers to think outside the box. Kenyan Director, Wanuri Kahiu told MediaGlobal, "PUMZI is a film about love and sacrifice. It is about being a mother to the environment. It is more than a representation of African values; it is a film that transcends race, culture, or borders. PUMZI is a story of futuristic Africa, and as Africa is full of stories that teach, cajole, remember ancestors, or forecast the future, PUMZI sits comfortably as a representation of the African storytelling culture."

While the film industry in East Africa is relatively new, it follows the example of the Nigerian film industry or, "Nollywood," which has grown to become the second largest film industry in the world. It has been estimated that 1,200 Nigerian films are produced annually, even though directors often run into numerous obstacles due to tight budgets and limited technology. The reason Nollywood films have reached so many Africans is because they appeal to a very specific African aesthetic. However, this aesthetic has also prevented the films from transcending cultures, particularly in the Western hemisphere. As a result, the Western media has often overlooked the successes of the industry. This should be  lesson to East African Film Industry to have their own identity.

Programs like those that helped fund PUMZI, train filmmakers on how to construct their stories in a way that will be understood by people around the world. The Sundance Institute East Africa, along with Focus Features has provided artists like Wanuri Kathiu the skills and financial backing to express their visions effectively to a large audience.

Specifically, Focus Features, a division of NBC universal, announced its launch of the Africa First Program in 2008 and awarded five African filmmakers a $10,000 grant to finance production and post-production work on a short film while utilizing African film industry resources. Three of the funded films were selected to screen at the Sundance Film Festival.

Meanwhile, Sundance Institute East Africa was conceived as a five-year program facilitating exchange between US artists and East African writers, directors, and performers. In July, the Institute will conduct a "theater lab" on the Kenyan island of Manda in which African filmmakers can learn and thrive from one another.