{"id":73413,"date":"2018-09-21T20:25:34","date_gmt":"2018-09-22T00:25:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/kenyan-high-court-lifts-ban-on-acclaimed-lgbtq-film-rafiki\/"},"modified":"2018-09-21T20:25:34","modified_gmt":"2018-09-22T00:25:34","slug":"kenyan-high-court-lifts-ban-on-acclaimed-lgbtq-film-rafiki","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/kenyan-high-court-lifts-ban-on-acclaimed-lgbtq-film-rafiki\/","title":{"rendered":"Kenyan high court lifts ban on acclaimed LGBTQ film ‘Rafiki’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Kenyan high court lifts ban on acclaimed LGBTQ film ‘Rafiki’<\/b><\/p>\n

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\"Rafiki\"<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Film Movement<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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A Kenyan high court on Friday lifted its ban on Rafiki<\/em><\/a>, a film with an uplifting lesbian<\/a> romantic storyline, clearing the path for the film to be the country’s submission for Best Foreign Language Film at next year’s Academy Awards.\u00a0<\/p>\n

High Court Justice Wilfrida Okwany temporarily lifted the restriction<\/a>\u00a0for just seven days, allowing Rafiki <\/em>to be screened for \u201cwilling adults.\u201d In her ruling, Okwany said,\u00a0\u201cI am not convinced that Kenya is such a weak society that its moral foundation will be shaken by seeing such a film.\u201d She contextualized her concern over the ban as being part of a larger epidemic against free speech in Kenya.<\/p>\n

Rafiki<\/em>, directed by Wanuri Kahiu, who was born in Nairobi and studied producing and directing at UCLA\u2019s school of theatre, was banned by Kenya’s Film and Classification Board (KFCB) back in April due to its central lesbian<\/a> romance. Just afterward, the film made its debut to critical acclaim<\/a> in May at the Cannes Film Festival. It gained further steam earlier this month at the Toronto International Film Festival<\/a>, where GLAAD first screened it. Tickets are on sale now for Kenyan audiences to finally go and see Rafiki<\/em><\/p>\n

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RAFIKI SHOWING EXCLUSIVELY AT PRESTIGE CINEMA
Sunday: 10.00am
Monday\/Tuesday: 1.15pm
Wednesday\/Thursday: 3.15pm
Friday28TH \/Saturday 29TH: 12.50pm pic.twitter.com\/WSlgViZa8B<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 PrestigeCinema (@PrestigeCine) September 21, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cWanuri Kahiu has created a compelling and universal story which provides hope that all Kenyans one day will be free to live<\/a> openly and celebrate the person they love,” said GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis about the film. “The story of Rafiki<\/em> is needed, not only to move more Kenyans to accept LGBTQ people but also, to shine a light on the truly unjust nature of criminalization laws against LGBTQ people in Kenya and other countries. The decision to screen the film in Kenya – enabling\u00a0it to be considered as among the country\u2019s best by the Academy Awards \u2014\u00a0is an important signal to the world that LGBTQ Kenyans will never be silenced.\u201d<\/p>\n

By allowing the film to play for seven days in theaters in Kenya, it will qualify to meet the Sept. 30th theatrical run deadline required by foreign films to be in considered in the running for a nomination at the 2019 Academy Awards.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Kahiu was in an airport in France, en route to Los Angeles to further promote the film, when she learned the news about the stay on the ban.<\/p>\n

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I am crying. In a french airport. In SUCH Joy! Our constitution is STRONG! Give thanks to freedom of expression!!!! WE DID IT! We will be posting about Nairobi screening soon. Follow @rafikimovie<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Wanuri (@wanuri) September 21, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Rafiki <\/em>is a love story between two young women<\/a> (played by newcomers Samantha Mugatsia and Sheila Munyiva) in a society that still bans homosexuality. The film is saturated with joy, heartbreak, and a richly effervescent cinematography that showcases Kahiu’s native Nairobi in all its vibrancy.<\/p>\n

When Kena and Ziki first lock eyes, it’s a genuine\u00a0coup de foudre despite the fact their families are political rivals. The young women<\/a> grow close, but as they are not able to show their attraction in public \u2014 or even to their relatives and friends \u2014 they are forced to sneak small moments in private. Together they create their own world, vividly evoked through Kahiu’s filmic eye, where their love isn’t anything other than an expression of their commitment to each other. The space they create, however, isn’t immune to the biases of the outside world.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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September 21, 2018<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Issues:\u00a0<\/div>\n