Queer Film ‘Rafiki’ will be the First Kenyan Feature to Screen at Cannes

Wanuri Kahiu’s feature film ‘Rafiki’ will be the first Kenyan feature to Screen at Cannes Film Festival. It is a love story about Kena and Ziki who live in a housing estate in Nairobi. The girls are unlikely friends and their fathers are rivaling politicians. When they fall in love and the community find out, the girls are forced to choose between love and safety.

Inspired by the 2007 Caine Prize winner, ‘Jambula Tree’ by Monica Arac de Nyeko, a coming of age story about two girls in love, set in Uganda.

‘Rafiki” will screen in the Un Certain Regard section of the festival.

The filmmaker shared the news on her Instagram page.

We did it!!!! RAFIKI my new film was invited to Cannes Film Festival!! It’s the first Kenyan feature film to be invited to the festival. What joy! And the talent…. Wa! The wondrous, special, beautiful leads… @nosta_lone @sheila_munyiva the supporting cast… the crew! Thank you! Trust we will bring all our 🖤 fire to that red carpet! #AKenyanFirst #Cannes2018 #Cannes2018Women

A post shared by Wanuri (@wanuri) on Apr 12, 2018 at 5:43am PDT

The Cannes Film Festival will run from the 8th to 17th of May 2018.