Director Wanuri Kahiu is set to make history this week when her film, Rafiki, becomes the first Kenyan film to debut at the Cannes Film Festival. The film centers around two young women, Kena and Ziki, who’s blossoming relationship threatens the political rivalry between their two families.
Despite the positive hype around the movie, its debut will be clouded in controversy after the Kenya Film Classification Board ruled to ban the film. The board’s CEO, Ezekiel Mutua, said that the film’s “homosexual practices run counter to the laws and the culture of Kenyan people. It is our considered view that the moral of the story in this film is to legitimize lesbianism in Kenya contrary to the law and the Board’s content classification guidelines.”
After learning of the ban Kahiu stated, “Unfortunately, our film has been censored in Kenya, because it deals with matters that are uncomfortable for the Kenya Film Classification Board. But I truly believe that an adult Kenyan audience is mature and discerning enough to be able to watch this film and have their own conversation. (The film is) a reflection of society, and we need to be having conversations about what is happening in our society. But unfortunately, because the film has been banned, we’ll be unable to have these conversations.”
Later on, Kahiu added to her statement by saying, “Maybe this work that is in exile will also come back, and we can properly have an open discourse about our people, our children, how we’re interacting with our community, and what our role is. I’m incredibly disappointed because I believe in Kenya.”
Despite being banned in Kenya, the film is still set to be screened at the Cannes Film Festival later this week.
