Short Stopper

Title : Uhuru

Type : Short

Director : Munene Mwarania

You get the sense that this is a period film when in the first few seconds we meet a young woman called Agnetta, when was the last time you heard that name? I bet no woman under fifty has that name. Uhuru participated in the 7 Day Film Festival which had filmmakers being given seven days to write and shoot a short film for the festival. All the short-listed films were posted on YouTube and, going by number of views, this was, by a mile, the most popular.

Munene Mwarania directs this short film that that follows two young women; Agnetta (Akinyi Oluoch) and Rose (Foi Wambui), on the morning Kenya attained its independence. They wake up to find their colonial masters gone, they are alone in the huge castle and there begins their effort to wrap their minds around the concept of self rule.

Witty, thought-provoking visuals, sarcastic humour and political philosophy are all deftly squeezed into seven minutes as Agnetta’s confident optimism duels with Rose’s more cautious view powered by her heavy colonial hangover and looming possibility of neo-colonialism by the incoming administration.

I enjoyed this film because it presents visual story-telling at its best. The cinematography is beautifully expressive, every shot well thought out and composed. The cast deliver a credible performance, more significantly in the close-ups, and to crown it all, the location is just perfect.

It is, however, a shame how the creators make it easy to poke holes in the story, specifically its credibility as a period film as the costume, make up and props fail to anchor Uhuru firmly in the 60’s leaving the location to carry most of that burden. I however find the courage to even try this in such short notice commendable considering the cost and details that that you need to get right to pull off a film of this nature.