Feeling brokenhearted? They say that misery loves company and there is no genre that soothes a needy soul like a good rom-com. The romantic comedy genre is a major staple of the international film industry and in Kenya our hearts are no different. One of our recent offerings in this genre is the Kenyan-Nigerian collaboration Plan B. The film not only features an East West African love story, it also is a production of the two coasts. Protagonist Lisa and her closest friend Joyce plot to make a quick buck and retire from Nairobi’s hustle after a series of rather unfortunate events. Cue a scheme to get financial support from Dele, the quintessential Naija business man. It’s definitely a story that has the full made in Nairobi feel to it as Plan B is a relatable story about a girl who, months after a hairy night on the town, is still nursing the world’s worst hangover.
All through this 60 minute feature, the characters take us on a roller-coaster of creative plot twists. Sarah Hassan (Lisa) plays the role of a damsel in distress convincingly, and Catherine Kamau’s portrayal of the scheming best friend, Joyce, packs a ton of comic relief into the film. The creativity of the two is perfectly matched by the relentlessness that Daniel Etim Effiong (Dele) brings to the table. The cast did a great job of bringing these characters to life.
This romantic comedy, which was shot in Nairobi, was produced by Sarah Hassan and directed by Nigerian film maker, Dolapo Adeleke who goes by the stage name LowlaDee. It is a family-friendly film in which the unfolding drama is punctuated with laughter. The cinematography boasts of the Nairobi landscape, and the music throughout the film features an array of upcoming Kenyan artists. The film is a partnership between LowlaDee and Alfajiri Productions.
Unlike other movies which have elaborate launches on the big screen, Plan B premiered on NTV on 13th February 2019. After this premier, it was published on LowlaDee’s YouTube channel that very same night. It was just in time for Valentine’s Day festivities, to be ingested by cuddly couples from the comfort of their homes, or single souls who had set some self-love time aside on this day.
Plan B is a testament of how, even in the film industry, digital media is shifting the ways in which people access information. At the moment, the film has been watched by over two million viewers on YouTube. As time goes by, the views continue to increase because the audience has the freedom to watch the film whenever they want to. In this way, Plan B was brought to the people rather than the traditional cinema setting of bringing people to the film.
