There’s something enthralling about being in a cinema hall watching a film shot in a familiar location. Think about it. Maybe it’s an exchange between a customer and a smokie-pasua vendor. Or perhaps it’s a mechanic overpricing a service and shortly after, negotiating with a not-so-naïve client. The familiarity will probably remind you of yourself or someone you know, and that’s what makes stories memorable. This brings us to the Kenyan film Lusala.
Lusala is a story about a young man (Lusala, played by Brian Ogola) haunted by his past. Having spent most of his childhood in a physically abusive household with a drunkard father, Lusala is fortunate enough to escape to the city, into the safer arms of his paternal uncle (Alan Oyugi). However, as we are drawn deeper into the story, we see that it’s more than just childhood scars that haunt Lusala.
The antagonist of the story is Bakhita (Stycie Waweru), happy-go-lucky Bakhita, who we come to love because of how she lights up Lusala’s mood every time she’s around. But something about Bakhita and her existence doesn’t add up. When Lusala’s uncle requests that he find a place of his own, a feeling of abandonment lingers around Lusala, but so does Bakhita. The transition should be simple, and it is at first…..but then Lusala begins to unravel.
There’s a saying that it takes a village to raise a child. We’d rephrase that today and say it takes a village to put together a story as informative as this one. Lusala film is all thanks to a talented team of Kenyans that put their minds, hands, and strengths together to explore the theme of mental health. According to the film’s director, Mugambi Nthiga, the journey to creating Lusala began with the writers. A team led by Silas Miami dedicated so much time to create a narrative on mental health. They spent months writing, editing and re-writing a story about a man struggling with trauma from his past. The story idea and concept went out to the production team at One Fine Day Films / Ginger Ink Productions and the third step became looking for the right director. This would be the seventh and final film by OFDF and both teams wanted rising Kenyan talent to manage the team behind and in front of the camera.
Across the world, in Germany, Mugambi was on the final stretch of completing a certificate course in film studies. A call from OFDF inquiring on his availability to direct a potential film was an honour, but the request was daunting. Mugambi had previously worked in the writing teams of Kenyan films Kati Kati (directed by Mbithi Masya) and Supa Modo (directed by Likarion Wainaina) but writing and directing were two different jobs. Nerves aside, it was a task worth pursuing and so he agreed to direct Lusala.
After many months of shooting and editing, bringing on a music team and finally being satisfied with the end product, Lusala film made its world premiere on 6th June 2019 at the third edition of the NBO Film Festival. Two sold-out shows and appreciation of social media led to an extra week of the Kenyan film’s screenings at Anga Cinemas in Nairobi.
The film’s success is tied to the message in the story, the familiarity of several scenes, and ultimately, the team’s dedication to creating something truly Kenyan. We are proud of this #KeProduct and if you haven’t already watched it, you can find the trailer on YouTube.
