Rafiki – International Women’s Group

Our next International Women’s Group screening is the Kenyan drama RAFIKI, the latest film from Wanuri Kahiu which charts a precarious love story between two young Kenyan women in a society where homosexuality is banned.

A love story between two young women (played by newcomers Samantha Mugatsia and Sheila Munyiva) in a country where homosexuality is still illegal, Rafiki is saturated with joy, heartbreak, and richly effervescent cinematography that showcases director Wanuri Kahiu’s native Nairobi in all its vibrancy. When Kena and Ziki first lock eyes, it’s a genuine coup de foudre despite the fact their families are political rivals. The young women grow close, but as they are not able to show their attraction in public — or even to their relatives and friends — they are forced to sneak small moments in private. Together they create their own world, vividly evoked through Kahiu’s filmic eye, where their love isn’t anything other than an expression of their commitment to each other. The space they create, however, isn’t immune to the biases of the outside world.

Inspired by Monica Arac de Nyeko’s story Jambula Tree, Rafiki is a celebration of love. In 2018, a Kenyan high court temporarily lifted the country’s ban on the film. It screened for one week in Kenya — to sold-out crowds — making it eligible for submission to the Academy Awards’ Foreign Language Film category.

This screening of Rafiki is part of The Women’s Centre Cornwall’s International Women’s Group, an inclusive group for women, especially reaching out to women from all countries and cultures.

Free for International Women, thanks to support from The Women’s Centre Cornwall and Film Hub South West.

Doors 6pm
Film 6.30pm
at The Women’s Centre Cornwall, Bodmin

Runtime 1hr 23mins
Rated 12A for moderate violence, infrequent strong language, discriminatory behaviour

If you need directions to The Women’s Centre, please call 01209 312500 or email [email protected]