Nairobi Half Life actor bags DIFF award

Kenyan actor Joseph Wairimu was named best actor in the just concluded Durban International Film Festival for his role in Nairobi Half Life. The jury described Joseph’s performance on the film as “charming” and “transcends both comedy and drama”.

They said, “From the very opening moments of Nairobi Half Life, actor Joseph Wairimu charms us with his endearing characterisation of Mwas. His role as a young actor who tries to resist becoming a reluctant hustler, transcends both comedy and drama. His performance embodies the hunger of Kenyan youth hoping to carve out better lives for themselves.”

Nairobi Half Life is about a young aspiring actor from upcountry Kenya dreams of becoming an accomplished actor one day, and in pursuit of this and the chagrin of his brother and parents, he makes his way to Nairobi the city of opportunity. He quickly understands why Nairobi is nicknamed Nairoberry as he is robbed of all his money and belongings and left alone in a city where he doesn’t know a soul.

Luck or the lack of it ...brings him face to face with the city’s criminals and forms a friendship with a small time crook who takes him in. He is quickly drawn into a world of crime as he struggles to pursue his dream of becoming an actor. The film is directed by Tosh Gitonga and produced by Sarika Hemi Lakhani, Tom Tykwer, Ginger Wilson, Marie Steinmann and Guy Wilson.