A simple conversation between Janet Kirina, and Nice Githinji, on the set of the film,
‘Benta,' has resulted in the transformation of the then actors into the producers of the new film ‘All Girls Together'.
Janet and Nice were discussing the Kenyan Film
Industry's output and wishing that there could be something, something "different, more fun,
exciting, out of the usual." The writer of the Benta film
they were acting in, overheard them, and told them that he actually had a
script that they might find interesting. It was titled ‘All Girls Together.'
All Girls Together had been performed
before, as a stage play, but when the two actresses read the script, they knew
they had in their hands the kind of script that they had been dreaming of. They
quickly joined hands with Janet Madiangi, and became the producers
of the film. It was different, and it was fun.
Kirina was new to the
Kenyan TV and Film industry, having started barely two years before as an extra in
‘Toto Millionaire'
where she had begged a role, any role that would show
off her talent from the film producers/Director's (Simiyu
Barasa and Ainea Ojiambo). And prove it she did, her brief role in the hit TV
Series ‘Tahidi
High' was a resounding success and led to her being quickly snapped up by ‘Makutano Junction', Kenya's biggest
TV drama series, and subsequently to a role in the film ‘Benta'.
By now she felt she had read the weak points in
the industry. " Most Kenyan film followed a predictable set pattern.
It was mostly the story of the forgotten many, the down-trodden, the
suffering woman and the AIDS sufferer. There were only a
few exceptions- Toto Millionaire, Formula X, Malooned and Benta. The girls
decided that it was time Kenyan viewers were treated to a different fare.
They gathered their
meagre resources and made the decision to produce Cajetan's script under Et
Cetera Productions Limited. Though the talent, equipment and expertise were
already available, the usual challenge of Kenyan Arts came up soon enough; the girls needed financial support. They negotiated their way into a co-production with Maestro Media, a
production house that is doing a great job supporting local production
through the provision of shooting equipment on favourable terms.
Thus begins the script to screen journey of
the story of two middle class girls Josie and Sasha, (played by Kirina and
Githinji themselves) trendy, it-girls with no time for serious relationships, picking and dumping boyfriends with
equal ease. The idyll does not last and the two find themselves falling in love. Sasha with a ‘love she
finally finds' and Josie with ‘an assortment of married men.' The two have a
strained friendship from this point on due to the exacting demands of their love
decisions. In a what-goes-round-comes-around' drama, the two
girls step on each others toes in much the same way that theyonce trampled over all who came in the way of their sampling Bruce, Willis and other men in their hot and bothered days.
The part of these samples is played by Maqbul Mohammed and Alfred Kinyua, with a guest appearance by Charles Kiarie.
The test screening at Kenya Film Commission's
office two months ago went well, especially as the Film Commission is working hard to
support local film makers. The test screening was a step towards global professional filming norms, allowing the first-time producers the privilege of feedback from film professionals, which feedback would then lead to the buffing of the movie before the polished product was released to a mass audience.
The producers-cum-stars of the film have
great dreams for the film industry. Insisting on the truth of the cliché,
they believe that "it is time the corporate world opened up to the opportunities of the film
industry. We need a lot of goodwill, and not just from sponsors but also from the media houses who need to allocate more airtime for local productions," Kirina says. They insist that they will continue producing more especially "because there are many untold African stories and we Africans can tell them best. Our
future is very bright and I'm really excited about making us the best."
The girls are already in the advanced stages of planning for their next movie, and are hinting at the possibility of a TV series soon.
They see the role of Kenyan female film-makers as
crucial given that the industry as a whole is not a huge or mature one.
However, as the film title says, for women, everything is on the upward trend, All Girls
Together.
Barasa Simiyu
About the author:
The writer is a film maker and writer, recently qualified to be a playwright after
staging a play at phoenix theatres called 'Mr Lover Lover'.
the girls are hot, the film is not written by Stephen Wanyama , July 29, 2008
Do Kenyans like have to be so common. I propose that a film about 'girls' living the wild life, is just about as trite as it gets. I understand that even in these lean times there are many Kenyan corporations making super-profits, but it is difficult to see how this could be justified to shareholders. CSR? Ha!!
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... written by Kitten , July 30, 2008
Perhaps if it was titled Maendeleo ya Wanaume it might be more hot?
What do "Kenyan" girls do when they are not living the wild life? Suffering? But is that all there is to the kenyan experience. How about All Girls Together for one other perspective of a Kenyan girl's life?
And it might yet qualify as CSR :)
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to stephen wanyama written by anmonymous , August 04, 2008
what shareholders?the producers?i hope u do know that the girls did this all by themselves.they are the share holders.but if u want to see more of kenyan movies about suffering and stuff just say it.the girls did a good job.we are not all about suffering like kitten said.we have another side to us.they tried.might not be perfect but they did it.well done girls.we want to see you do more more for the industry.
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come on! written by Stephen Wanyama , August 04, 2008
Hey, no problem, go ahead and make a movie about anything under the sun, it is a free world. However, I do not believe that there is anything original about a story that has Girls Gone Wild. It is even less original than a story about 'suffering'. But let me stop being a wet blanket, you see I am sure I will enjoy this film, especially after seeing that poster.
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... written by mkosakabila , August 04, 2008
I will be most delighted to watch any movies coming from such enterprising people. How can I get a copy of this one, for me and to share? All Girls Together...and well done!
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... written by catherine Njoki , September 10, 2008
well done! very interesting and new to kenyan industry, you got talent!
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... written by x factor , October 08, 2008
You gals did a great job on your first project. All the best in your goal to get a TV series that can explore the intricacies, contradictions, triumphs, failures etc etc of women in nairobi....coz somehow somewhere men will feature. keep it up!