Kenyan actresses Samantha Mugatsia (right) and Sheila Munyiva star in the film "Rafiki."
“Rafiki,” a recent Kenyan film that stirred controversy in that country for female director Wanuri Kahiu’s depiction of a lesbian relationship amid small-town political turmoil, is screening Wednesday, Dec. 12, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Institute for Contemporary Art at VCU. The film is the first for musician and now actor Samantha Mugatsia, who makes her debut in "Rafiki" portraying the leading character of Kena. Mugatsia is scheduled to attend the screening.
The event includes pre-show music by Mighty Joshua, Virginia Reggae Ambassador 2015-16, who will perform with Mugatsia.
Enjoli Moon, assistant film curator for the ICA and founder of the Afrikana Independent Film Festival, was looking for a film to accompany the museum's current exhibition of “Hedges, Edges, Dirt.” She wanted to bring the community in, as is the ICA’s mission, and tapped Heather Waters, founder and organizer of the Richmond International Film Festival, to bring a film that complemented the work of the institute.
Moon explains, “The proper gesture is to invite someone into our space who has the qualifications and knowledge base to present film, but not just any film, but one that is thoughtful and will create space for conversation.”
“Hedges, Edges, Dirt” has themes pertaining to the themes of boundaries, migration and what it means to belong, and “Rafiki” is the among the kind of international films that are programmed each year at RIFF.
After looking at several possibilities, Waters followed the suggestion of musician Mighty Joshua, who recommended the Kenyan film.
"Rafiki," which means "friend" in Kiswahili, is adapted from a prize-winning short story called "Jambula Tree" by Ugandan writer Monica Arac de Nyeko.
“The film just works on several levels,” Waters says. “It’s about the personal and the political, and how those aspects cross over. It’s a lesbian relationship, and yet what it’s really about is being on the outside while wanting to lead your own life.” The women must choose between their happiness and safety.
The feature film (running time: 1:23) premiered at the Cannes Film Festival this summer, where it received a 10-minute standing ovation and went on to play at the Toronto Film Festival, Sydney Film Festival and many others on the circuit before receiving a ban in Kenya for a period of time due to the cultural and political issues it addresses.
“The film not only entertains, it asks important questions for the time in which we live,” Waters says. “While it is a glimpse into the current issues that Kenya faces, some of those struggles are universal and ones that many communities today are facing.”
Mighty Joshua met Mugatsia during his 2016 musical tour of Kenya, where they played together and also supported the Makindu Children's Program, a nonprofit that provides for the nutritional and medical needs of hundreds of destitute AIDS orphans and other vulnerable children, along with access to primary education through high school, psychosocial support, advocacy and vocational training. Mighty Joshua describes Mugatsia as family now and “the rhythm keeper, the fire sitter … a real Braveheart.” The two are also performing at the IX Art Park in Charlottesville on Dec. 14.
“Looking at the worldwide reaction to this film, and the buzz around it, I felt that this is something the Richmond community would take to, that it wouldn’t be a hard sell at all," Moon says. "And then with Heather and Samantha’s tie to Mighty Joshua, and them doing work together, it’s a real full circle.”
Admission to "Rafiki" is free, but reservation of tickets is required.
