Kenya’s 2007 general election was marred with violence in which thousands lost their livelihoods and thousands others lost their lives. It was a dark period for the nation, one whose aftermath can still be felt to date. This difficult time in our history is the backdrop against which the feature film, Something Necessary, is set.
We find Anne (Susan Wanjiru) laying on a hospital bed, fighting for her life. During the violence, she was raped and severely injured, her husband was murdered, her son’s health was compromised, while her Nakuru home was burnt down and the remains looted. In the blink of an eye, she lost everything she had worked so hard for. Rather than focus on the violence itself, Judy Kibinge, the film director, shifts the attention to the ripple effect the violence caused. The film takes us on a journey of rebuilding, and we see how Anne attempts to do so.
Reconstruction must begin somewhere, and for Anne, it is her home. In this manner, her path crosses with that of Joseph (Walter Kipchumba Lagat). This young manual labourer is also dealing with post-election violence trauma. But unlike Anne who is grieving her loss, Joseph is riddled with guilt over the part he played in orchestrating violence. As he sees Anne struggle to piece her life back together, he anonymously tries to find ways to make amends. But will his shame-fueled good deeds carry the day, or will his past catch up to him?
Rather than tell an isolated story, Something Necessary takes on a multi-angled approach by bringing the stories of Anne and Joseph together reminding us of the complexities of life. By focusing on this newly widowed woman, we witness the humanity of her story, and by extension begin to understand she is more than a faceless casualty. Through Joseph, we get a sense of just how powerful mob mentality can be. We are also reminded that during civil unrest, everyone is a victim, and those who perpetrate violence are largely victims of economic circumstances.
This film weaves together multiple perspectives of the Kenyan reality. The story takes us through several urban settings as well as rural ones, and shows us how two very different worlds can exist in such close proximity. In addition, dialogue between the characters switches easily from English to Swahili to vernacular. This form of code switching is an accepted mode of conversation that Kenyans engage in effortlessly and through it we realise the innate diversity of our nation.
The 85 minute-long feature film opened in Kenyan cinemas on 24th January 2013. The premier happened as the nation was months away from her first general election after 2007’s post-election violence. It was an artist’s powerful call to us all to remember the past and learn from our collective mistakes. The story is one that every countryman can relate to and is truly something necessary in the world of Kenyan motion pictures.