Friday, 06 March 2020: Rafiki
Friday, 06 March 2020, 20:00
Venue: (see Locations and Tickets for further details)
Programme category: Forest Row Film Society
Director: Wanuri Kahiu, Kenya 2019, 83 mins, 12A“The cultural particulars of growing up gay in Kenya (where same-sex sexual activity is illegal) give it dimension … But its lead protagonists and their endless reserve of raw, bittersweet chemistry are Katiu’s greatest asset.” Vulture
Banned in Kenya for its positive portrayal of homosexuality, this tender story of young love is both sharply critical of the hypocrisies of Kenyan culture and delicately attuned to the sweetness of romance. A visual delight, and featuring a terrific soundtrack of contemporary African music.
“This is a bittersweet yet ultimately positive depiction of young, forbidden love that radiates empathy by showing how misguided it is to be against this kind of devotion…. To feel seen is a potent, potentially life-changing emotion, and only those who were never in the dark would have a moral problem with it. Rafiki makes this serious point quite effectively, never losing its ebullience.” RogerEbert.com
