Filmmaking in Kenya: The Voyage
Loading...
Date
2015
Authors
Okioma, Nicodemus
Mugubi, John
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
American Research Institute for Policy Development
Abstract
World over, there is a new trajectory that apprehends the significance of filmmaking and forward-looking nations
have swiftly embedded film in their national culture and psyche, with the resultant effect of tremendous socioeconomic and political development. Veritably, all the developed nations and emerging economies in the world have
strong and vibrant filmmaking policies. China, Brazil, India and South Africa are cases in point. Little wonder huge
fiscal and personnel resources have been allocated by respective governments to document and archive films not only
made within their boundaries but also from without. Whether factual or fiction, films have been used in diverse fields
and disciplines - in science, humanities or/and arts - as a credible source of information, innovation as well as a
premise to come up with administrative and political policies. Conversely, Africa fares rather badly in documentation
in almost all fronts, a fact largely attributed to oral tradition as a mode of passing and preserving information. The
African people’s origin, movement, lifestyle, medicine, industry, agriculture, arts, architecture, geography, culture,
religion, socio-political structure, commerce, warfare are some of the areas that are worst affected – inadequately
documented. This cheerless picture quickly solidifies the myth that Africa and its inhabitants never existed until the
coming of foreigners; be they Europeans or Asians. The Kenya filmmaking industry is one such casualty. Very little
effort has been directed towards coming up with a compilation of filmmaking in Kenya. Until recently, film training
was only offered in vocational colleges. Kenya Institute of Mass Communication (KIMC), started in 1976, was solely
technically oriented. The overwhelming interest in filmmaking was noticed by universities in Kenya who have since
opened film production departments to tap into the increasing numbers of film students trooping out of the country
for further studies. The number of film scholars has begun to swell and it is expected that intellectual publications on
film and cinema will ameliorate as well. This paper endeavors to lay the groundwork for such a discourse.
Rudimentary in structure and form, the genesis of filmmaking in Kenya is be traced and tracked from pre to post
independence, all the way to the postmodern Kenya. The guiding framework is be hinged on the 5WsH of journalism;
who made the films, Where, When and what they are about. How and why portions are delved into later on.
Acknowledging the enormity of the task at hand, a careful sampling of notable films across the Kenya cinema
spectrum were picked and highlighted to paint a vivid picture and to be inclusive as much as possible.
Description
Article
Keywords
Citation
Okioma, N., & Mugubi, J. (2015). Filmmaking in Kenya: The Voyage. International Journal of Music and Performing Arts, 3(1), 46-62.