• During screening of 'Rafiki' in the UK this month, Wanuri accused Kenyans of not supporting her work.
• However, critics say it is not a must everyone agrees with her, and she shouldn't lash out at those who don't.
Any creative writer expects the best from their work. They also expect total support from fans and even the authority.
This, however, was not the case for Wanuri Kahiu, who has produced several films, each depicting different topics, including 'Rafiki', a love story between two girls, which the Kenya Film Classification Board didn’t want Kenyans to see.
The film looks at young LGBT love in a nation where gay sex is still a criminal offence. Wanuri says she knew it was the best work she had done, which would be fully supported.
But for the last one year, she has been trolled on social media, threatened with arrest and suffered endless offensive comments, sometimes from members of her own family.
“I have seen the vilest of comments come out of people I love,” she says. “It’s been incredibly challenging,” she said in one interview.
Her troubles began in April last year, when the government watchdog demanded she edits the film. “They felt it was too hopeful. They said if I changed the ending to show her [the main character Kena] looking remorseful, they would give me an 18 rating.”
Wanuri refused. The ban followed, the critics claiming the film sought to “promote lesbianism in Kenya, contrary to the law and dominant values of the Kenyans”.
Ever since that ruling, Wanuri says she has felt threatened. "They threatened to have me arrested but couldn’t because we never broke the law,” she said.
Well, Wanuri fought for the film and the ban was lifted for seven days in Kenya to make it eligible for the Oscars (in the end, the Kenya Oscars Selection Committee didn’t choose it for submission for the best foreign film).
"Many people came to me and told me they saw themselves in the movie because they had lived in denial for so long," she said, adding that audiences deserve the movies they watch.
"A young Kenyan woman said her best moment in life was watching 'Rafiki' with her mother and coming out,” she added.
ONLINE BACKLASH
Rafiki was screened in the UK this month, and Wanuri got a chance to talk about the film, where she blamed Kenyans for not supporting her work.
"The reason 'Rafiki' is not watched in Kenya is that Kenyans didn't advocate for it," she said.
She says as an audience member, if you want to see more people of colour on your screen and more voices of diversity, then it is your responsibility and not for the creators to fight for the rights.
"When you see a non-white person creating a film, go out and buy a ticket. You don't have to watch it but do it for the data. So that the next time I am creating a film of joy with people of colour, I can say, look at the data," she said.
"Because the only thing we have had recently is 'Black Panther', which cannot be the only film to be used to explain our diversity. There are more stories of joy to be told and they are to be told by us. It is our responsibility, and that is why I am fighting with the authorities."
Her perception of Kenyan apathy to her cause caught the attention of Kenyans online.
John Kerera said: "What a BS movie. Promoting abominations in the name of movies should not be allowed anywhere in the world. If God is against LGBTQAxxx, then who are we to say it's okay? LGBTQ hide behind human and equal rights organisations, and that can only mean they are the same ones who run those organisations."
Wealth and Riches: "That Rafiki film had a wrong target audience. It is like telling Kakamega people to eat rice for supper. It can't be."
Antipropaganda: "She could make films on so many topics that empower and enlighten Africans. Like why do these filmmakers never do biopics on heroes like Dedan Kimathi, Wangari Maathai, Thomas Sankara? There are many untold stories."
George reacted to Wanuri on social media, saying:
"Say, for example, I don't smoke but you're a smoker. Would I be termed narrowly minded for my opinion on smoking? Now if you insist I change my opinion and start blasting me for not agreeing with you, wouldn't that make YOU narrow-minded? So you Just make your movie and chill. Even Hollywood doesn't make movies for specifically America, they have an audience in mind globally."
Wanuri is suing the government for infringement of freedom of expression and will be back in court in June.