A week ago I had the pleasure of getting to watch the latest craze on the Kenyan film scene, Malooned! Its taken me a while, but I thought I would share it with you. Warning- spoiler ahead.

At first, the plot may seem really lame, the whole movie was set in one scene and it's hard to get past this if you have already watched the trailer. However, as the movie snakes along you begin to appreciate the creativity and effort put into making the movie.

Malooned revolves around two characters Luther and Di. Their ethnic ancestries, Luo and Kikuyu respectively are a central theme of the movie. These two Kenyan peoples, bear an intense rivalry stretching back into the nascent days of independent Kenya, and woven by the wefts of stereotypes and superstitions into a modern fabric of seperation that sets the two characters at each others throats from the beginning of the movie. Confined between the walls of the washroom, they are compelled to confront and debate these issues; for us and for them.

The movie starts when finding the door to the men's bathrooms locked Luther decides to sneak into the ladies', not knowing that Di who had previously snubbed him in the corridors is within the same rooms. She gets out of her cubicle and discovers their entrapment before he does. Terrified at first, she fears that he had followed her to the bathroom to rape her. A dialogue begins, bitter words are exchanged. The pair’s efforts to break free from the confines of the bathrooms that will hold them all Easter weekend prove futile.

They seem to take turns at trying to open the door, their desperation and frustration apparent. Calm is gained mainly due to the realization that they are in the same boat, and that there is no getting out of it for them. They begin to cooperate and are soon talking in a more friendly tone. They indulge in conversation that makes them start to empathize and relate to each other. A serene existence seems close at hand.

Their ethnic baggage, replete with its prejudices is brought up and Di’s bigotry is brought to the fore as she speaks about her reluctance to vote in an uncircumcised presidential candidate. Their heated debate results in the pair getting to let out the animosities and fears that are felt by a lot of Kenyans. Luther brings up the fact that a lot of people vote in a candidate at elections not because of who he is based on personality, but who he or she is based on their tribal affiliations.

The film is a great eye opener and also serves as a way to bring Kenyans into the right frame of mind as they approach this year’s elections. It also lightly browses over a few family and societal issues going on in the two characters’ lives. Later, it slowly turns into something of an unfulfilled love story as the two characters slowly begin to find comfort in each other.

This movie is a must-see!! All hail Director Bob Nyanja!!

If you are in Kenya, you can buy the movie at Nakumatt stores, while international customers can buy the movie here.