Saphia Ngalapi, Judy Kibinge, Chaiba Kombo, Kim Longinotto, Imane Duwe (l to r, front) were some of the guests who thronged the theatre

The evening of July 4 is epoch-making as it broke virgin ground with the world premier of Naliaka is going, a new Kenyan feature film.

The event coincided with the sixth Festival of the Dhow Countries in the culturally-conscious ancient city of Zanzibar. Njunguna Ngunjiri, the high commissioner of Kenya in Tanzania, flew from Dar es salaam to be the chief guest as the world got a taste of Kenyan filmmaking in the presence of the international media, filmmakers, representatives of governments, cultural agencies, funders and other high profile guests. The 500-seater Cine Afrique Theatre was bursting at the seams as people pushed, shoved and craned their necks to have a view of the Kenyan images on the screen. Thereafter there followed a big cocktail party at the historic House of Wonders (Beit el Ajaib) in Stone Town further making people to openly confess that this was the most memorable event of the 15-day film, performing and visual arts, and culture festival organized by the Zanzibar International Film Festival. High commissioner Ngunjiri pledged the support of the Kenya government in the nurturing and promotion of cultural events through film. The envoy called upon East African institutions, governments and individuals to help support filmmaking to make it internationally competitive.

"Filmmakers in this region have produced films of high quality and it is only fair that we keep on supporting them in order to excel in their work," he said, commending director Albert Wandago for a job well done. "You can't believe this great feature film was made in a fortnight," he said.

The diplomat pledged government support for filmmaking in Kenya. Saying he had flown to Zanzibar from Dar es Salaam at 'extremely short" notice, Ngunjiri said he would have wanted to host a party for Kenyan and other filmmakers in Tanzania. Earlier, Wandago had held a Press conference on "Making film in Kenya" to which filmmakers Wanjiru Kinyanjui (Battle of the sacred Tree), Judy Kibinge (Dangerous Affair) were also present. Lead actors of Naliaka is going, Benta Ochieng and Kenneth Ambani were present in this meeting that was also attended by international film festival organisers, funders, human rights advocates, artists, arts promoters and lovers and government representatives.

Albert Wandago with the Kenya High Commissioner Njuguna Ngunjiri

Wandago spoke about Naliaka is going and the opportunities open to filmmaking business in Kenya. The event was covered in the international Press including BBC, Radio France International, Radio Zanzibar, Television Zanzibar, Zanzibar Leo, and Daily News. Naliaka is going, a 90-minute video feature, is the first Kenyan film to make an international theatrical release.

Thespian Ochieng and screen actor Ambani received a standing ovation when they were introduced at this epoch-making launch. Naliaka is going was shot in Nairobi, and the western and coastal regions of Kenya. It stars Ochieng as Naliaka, a 14-year-old girl who drops out of school to work as a domestic worker (house girl) to sustain her family and see her brother through college. Never content with her plight, however, Naliaka learns typing and improves her spoken and written English with the assistance of her employer's children. However when her father learns that she plans to seek employment as a typist, he decides to marry her off to his drinking village-mate. But Naliaka escapes back to the city where she quickly realises that her action is tantamount to jumping from the frying pot and into the fire.

Toasting to the success of Naliaka is going are Kenneth Ambani, Judy Kibinge, Albert Wandago, and Zanzibari fans and supporters

Scripted by Brutus Sirucha, Naliaka is going is produced by Alwan Communications in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism and Information with partial funding from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). This international premier confirmed Kenya's position as the leading film nation in East Africa. While Ochieng is almost legendary on the theatre scene in Nairobi where she works with groups like Heartstrings Kenya, Phoenix Players, The Courtyard Theatre, Mbalamwezi Players, and Tufani Arts Ensemble, Ambani is a well known and loved screen personality starring mainly in commercials. His presence in Zanzibar elicited lots of attention as people stopped to gaze at the TV legend. They acknowledged him in entertainment joints all over town.

Being known, Ambani quickly learnt, is a good thing. Upon arrival in Zanzibar, a taximan tried to make fast bucks from him. Instead of asking the usual TSh1000 (about Ksh100) from the airport to the hotel, he asked for Tsh10000 (Ksh1000) before his colleagues reprimanded him saying he should count it an honour to ferry such an important guest in his vehicle even if it were to be for free Ochieng, who attended Nairobi River Primary School and Ngara Girls' School, is currently appearing in Reflections, a soap production of Kenya Broadcasting Corporation. African viewers of television readily recognise Ambani who comes in their living rooms on TV in commercials like Kinyara Sugar (Uganda), Whitedent toothpaste (Tanzania), PSI AIDS awareness messages (East Africa) and Blue Band margarine and Coca Cola Family (All Africa).

Wandago in an exclusive interview with BBC correspondent Ali Saleh at the plush Mazsons Hotel in Stone Town, Zanzibar

With a strong screen presence, Ambani starred in audience-pulling programmes like Tausi, Theatre Special, Fate Makers, and Tushauriane on the national Kenya Broadcasting Corporation Television. Upon arrival in Zanzibar, Wandago was asked to hand in a copy of Naliaka is going so it could be considered for competition in the features category. Most people who saw Naliaka is going considered it superior to Dangerous Affair that won the inaugural Best East African Production award. They said it was a shame that the jury had not considered it for an award due to what they had termed lateness. Other flag bearers of Kenya in Zanzibar included recording artistes Yunasi and Poxi Presha, dancers Taffi, filmmakers Kibinge, Kinyanjui, nurse Fardhosa Mohamed who assisted in the making of The day I will never forget that tackles female circumcision in Kenya.

Naliaka is going is one of the four films being launched internationally at the sixth edition of the Festival of the Dhow Countries. The others were Zanzibar: an ocean of melodies, Cape Town: Our language, our music, our city, Johannesburg: Gold, tears and music, and Scratch and mix. The four are part of Rhythms from Africa, a four-film series produced and directed by Abdulkadir Ahmed Said of Acacia Films (Somalia) and Bridget Thompson of Tomas Films (South Africa). Naliaka is going is scheduled for the national premier on July 30 at Nairobi Cinema. Except for invited guests, any one else interested in watching the film will pay Sh150 per head. Naliaka is going will then be screened at Nairobi Cinema twice a day between July 30 and August 10. This is the first time a local film is running in a theatre for this long. The video feature will also be screened at Tivoli Centre in Kisumu town and Nyali Cinemax in Mombasa on what director Wandago describes as an experiment since no local film has ever done what he intends to do.

Judy Kibinge receives the Best East African award from jurist Johannes Lassila of Finland.Looking on is MC Babbie Kabae of East Africa Television

Meanwhile, Dangerous Affair, a straight-to-video feature film from Kenya, was on July 5 awarded the inaugural Golden Dhow ZIFF East African Production Prize. A co-production of Baraka Films and Kenya Film Television Professional Association (KFTPA), Dangerous Affair is directed by Kibinge. The jury commended Dangerous Affair "for a bold and commendable effort to chart different directions and cultivate other styles of portraying and critically engaging contemporary social, cultural and personal issues and questions relating to young people in urban Africa. Also for its use of local and regional resources and technical expertise ." This was quite a feat for a film that had on the previous day been denied screening at Cine Afrique allegedly for being incompatible with the culture of Zanzibar. So angry was director Kibinge that she had threatened to return to Nairobi on the next available flight. It was unclear how a production that allegedly impacts negatively on the cultural aspirations of the Dhow Countries could be declared the Best East African production and be awarded a Golden Dhow trophy.

While Festival Director Imruh Bakari denied the film had ever been censored, he admitted a "gaffe" had occurred and that ZIFF was investigating it. Kibinge said Emerson Skeens, the immediate past chair of ZIFF had personally apologized to her. "there was confusion with the screening of your film. We will give it another screening," she quoted Skeens as having told her. However, Albert Wandago's Naliaka is going-that most viewers considered superior to Dangerous Affair-- was not as lucky. The jury rejected it on what its chair, Ritu Dewan of India, described as being "sent in too late by the producer" for consideration.

As expected, director Wandago protested arguing that the jury had pressed him to hand in the film in the evening of July 3 upon his arrival in Zanzibar. "The film had not been in competition but I agreed to hand in a copy of it for competition when the jury asked for it," Wandago explains. "They should at least have had the courtesy of informing me of their decision instead of me hearing it from the podium during the awards ceremony." Whether or not the film won an award, it was screened to acclaim from full houses on July 4 and July 11 with the international media and critics giving it rave reviews.

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