Subira ~ A Short Swahili Film

SUBIRA ~ was shot entirely on location in Lamu, Kenya.
The cast from Lamu were all non-professional, which offerred them a chance to work in a film for the very first time.

The director spoke little or no Swahili, and most of the cast spoke only Swahili, this proved a challenge on his hands.

But the director set the film in Swahili and used all local Lamu talent to enhance the authenticity of the story. In addition, SUBIRA took on hands on trainees from Kibera, Africa’s largest slum in line with the vision of Hot Sun Films to train and promote talent from the urban slums of Africa.

The film is about how girls are being brought up along the Swahili Coast. Not just in Lamu, it is very likely similar on Zanzibar. When a girl becomes a woman, her space becomes even more confined. And she is supposed to behave - and to wait. What I liked about the film in particular is that it is so simple, but still tells a clear story.

The director has used the sound effects well-known from Nigerian movies, which I found interesting. It kind of went along well.