The documentary Kikuyu Land details a Nairobi journalist's probe into a land battle that entangles the local government and a powerful multinational corporation. The doc reveals both wounds and family secrets.
Bea Wangondu is both a journalist and the project's co-director, along with Andrew H. Brown. For the Kikuyu people, land is identity, but a history of colonialism in Kenya has stripped communities of their land, leaving many to labor under harsh conditions on land that is now owned by large corporations.
"I came to Kikuyu Land through my relationship with my co-director, Bea Wangondu," notes Brown, who also served as
Kikuyu Land’s cinematographer and editor. "We first worked together while both on assignment with National Geographic on a separate project. Over time, I saw how fearless she was in asking difficult questions within her own community."
The documentary leans heavily on natural sound, silence and pacing, rather than exposition, allowing moments to breathe.
"One scene, captured with (a) Canon (camera), that stays with me is when Stephen and his friends run off the farm and into the world beyond the tea fields," shares Brown. "There is a sense of momentum and curiosity as they move through space that is usually off-limits, driven by the simple urge to explore. For a brief moment, the boundaries that shape their lives seem to take a backseat."