This fast-paced medical drama is a story loosely based on the experiences of the real-life paramedic Brian Odhiambo. The film was inspired by the 2015 story of the late Alex Madaga – a road accident victim who survived the impact of the accident but died eighteen hours after being denied access to medical care in four different hospitals. After reading the story in the papers, the film’s writer/ director (Njue Kevin) was moved to action. He got in contact with Mr Odhiambo who became a key consultant throughout the film’s development. Mr. Odhiambo provided valuable insight into the life of a paramedic and intricate details on that fateful night of Madaga’s passing.
18 hours follows the tumultuous search for medical assistance following a road accident on ‘Highway 89’. We meet rookie paramedic Zach (Nick Ndeda) and his more experienced, jaded partner Mark (Brian Ogola), who are summoned to an accident scene. The victim, a pedestrian involved in a hit and run now lays by the roadside in dire straits, when the Raven Paramedics team arrive. They place the victim in the ambulance and make their way to a hospital.
They rush across the city in a race against time, as they are bounced from facility to facility. Eventually, the victim’s wife Sabina (Sue Wanjiru) joins the team in the ambulance. Understandably, she is anxious, and fears for her husband’s life. Through the lens of her sorrow and depths of her potential loss, we gain an even deeper sense of the injustice of the situation.
Released in 2017, this film appreciates paramedics who work tirelessly in this highly stressful field and do their best to save the lives of their patients. As it is based on a true story, it also reveals the weak points of our country’s health care system. With professional aerial shots of Thika highway and expertly executed camera angles in the tight spaces of the interior of an ambulance, 18 hours is a visual treat. The shifting pace of the images from fast and urgent to long and lingering, handheld roaming shots coupled with tense silences, all capture the intensity of the unfolding events. Not to mention, the effective use of medical jargon which gives the film that much more credibility in this genre.
As Njue Kevin’s feature film directorial debut, this film points to a promising start for a great career ahead. A big believer in the capability of our industry to scale great heights, he was on record with Business Daily saying “Film is a business like any other. Billions are made annually in other regions. Why not Kenya?” Njue was listed in Forbes 30 under 30 last year under the ‘creatives’ category and is the first Kenyan filmmaker to be featured.
The film was nominated for five of awards at the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Award in 2018. It took home the prestigious accolades of Best Overall Movie in Africa (Phoebe Ruguru), Best Movie East Africa (Phoebe Ruguru) and Best Picture Editor (Mark Maina). The cast and crew made history as they were the first Kenyan film to both be nominated and win in the Best Overall Movie in Africa
It was not the first tango between the film’s producer and director, producer Ruguru Phoebe and Njue have joined forces before when they collaborated on their award-winning short film ‘Saidia’ (2014) which, amazingly, was shot entirely on an I- phone 4s. The dynamic duo went on to create another short film, Intellectual Scum (2016) which was screened in over 20 international film festivals across the globe and opened doors which they gracefully walked into in the creation of their first feature film.
18 hours is a feat for the young production company Rocque Pictures who saw this film from ideation through to completion. A film that fulfills one of the core purposes of the craft, 18 hours holds up a mirror to society in getting us to take a long hard look at ourselves. A tool for social change, the film played a role in pushing for the Kenya Health Act of 2018 which states that health facilities should administer necessary immediate health care to prevent death or worsening of a medical situation. It fosters important dialogue at a national level and is a production we recognize as one of the #KeFilms that go beyond entertainment, straight into the halls of justice. This film is definitely one to have on your radar if what you are looking for is stories that speak of and for us.
