The Kenyan film industry has morphed into a new dimension that has seen film scripts change from social campaigns and stereotypes to more entertaining and diverse stories according to actress Nice Githinji.
“We’re taking more risks when it comes to storytelling,” she said while giving a simple analysis of how the Kenyan film Industry has changed.
“We’re obviously done with “Aids” and “slum” story lines, and the audience is receiving the new content with an open heart and mind. It started with the likes of House of Lungula, Kati Kati and Nairobi Half-life and now the new breed of Supa Modo and Rafiki shows the growth.”
Githinji, who is now 33 years old, is nearing a decade in the film industry and has been part of this transition. The ‘House of Lungula’ actress rose to fame when she was nominated in the 2009 Kalasha Awards for Best Lead Actress in the film, ‘All Girls Together’.
She has also starred in the controversial film ‘Rafiki’, and globally acclaimed film, Subira, set to premiere in November at Westgate Cinema.
“I was proud to have been in the cast of Rafiki, considering it made Sh3.3 million in just a week,” she told Daily Nation.
“It also changed people’s lives, giving a voice to those who feel they have none.”
In Subira, — which has just earned 14 nominations in this year’s Kalasha International Awards — Githinji plays Mwana, Subira’s mother.
She said though the movie was short in Lamu, she wasn’t picked because she’s originally from the coast.
“Oh my…no. I agreed to be part of it because of how beautiful the story is,” she said.
“It has tragic and dreamy moments that tug at your heartstrings. However, it was an added advantage that the film was going to be shot in Lamu. The idea of playing a character from the Coast. I had to re-learn and brush up on my accent.
“I was also excited to work with Vibeke Muasya again after five years and curious to work with a new director, Sippy Chadha. I’d always heard of her and I knew about the short film so I looked forward to seeing how her mind interprets the script. In a nutshell, it brought challenges my way.
