Mwendwa Mutua is living his fantasy. A graduate of Kenyatta University, where he
studied film and theatre, he made his dreams reality last year when he won an
award at the Kalasha Film and Television Awards in Nairobi, Kenya.
The soft spoken director”s debut feature film, Tamed is themed on the social issues
that plague human existence.
“My film is about family drama; it tackles the daily challenges that most families go
through. The things that we face as people of today, ranging from infidelity in
relationships, financial insecurity and security in the family, and the quest for love
just to mention a few,’ he explains.
Mutua, a curious and adventurous individual, was on a personal quest to fulfill his
dream of making his first movie. He decided to write his own script from scratch,
based on his daily experiences with the people he understands best – his peers.
“I was looking for a story that would cut across the board in the sense that every
person would relate to it: youth, old men and women in relationships, fathers and
mothers who have financial security issues. So Tamed happened to be the perfect
story at that time because it had what I was looking for and was also easy to
execute because it was a story about humanity’s way of life, bombarded with the
challenges and concerns of everyday life, and it was also financially feasible,’ he
says.
Mutua invested his personal savings in the film and also asked personal friend
Eunice Pohlmann to contribute. She gladly accepted and became a co-producer on
the film.
But few other parts of the process would come so easily. Among the challenges he
faced, possibly the biggest was distribution. Kenya’s film industry is marred by
piracy. Artists don’t get paid for their work because intellectual property thieves are
out there ready to feast on the fruits of someone else’s labour. But he managed to
find a team that was able to make things smooth for him.
“I finally have an agent in charge of all my distribution on the networks or on
DVDs,’ he says. “Though I must admit that distribution has been the greatest
challenge that we face in the industry, Mwaniki Mageria from Balozi Production has
done a tremendous job.’
He believes his film being among the winners at the recently concluded Kalasha
Film and Television Awards edges him closer to the global stage, although he knows
this is only a first small step.
“I strongly believe that the buck stops with me. The quality of my work will take me
out there. They say you are as good as your last film so I am working on doing a
better one, which will definitely take us across Africa come next year,’ he enthuses.
The Kenyan government has been on the frontline in promoting local film. Mutua
believes that it should do more by connecting Kenyan filmmakers with established
brands like Hollywood, Bollywood and Nollywood. He’s part of the group that is
working with Kenya Film Commission (KFC) to set out sound policies on intellectual
property, distribution and film funding.
“I truly believe that the Kenyan Film Commission is trying its best in connecting us
with other established brands that have been in film for many years, and it could be
really great if we had other directors work with us and offer their input in
filmmaking because film is a collaborative process that requires teamwork. The
industry could improve dramatically through working with other non-Kenyan
directors who have years of experience.’
By Sam Charo
