Critically-acclaimed Kenyan documentary, THE LETTER, directed and produced by Maia Lekow & Christopher King will premiere on Kenyan cinema starting 11th Dec 2020.
The slated venues include in Nairobi - at Prestige Cinema, Westgate Cinema, Anga Diamond, Century Garden City and Unseen Nairobi; Mega City in Kisumu and Nyali Cinemax in Mombasa.
For more info: visit www.the-letter.org
Filmed with a gentle pace and incredible closeness, THE LETTER is a story that connects with every Kenyan family.
It explores the universal theme of how land is divided when an elder dies and is entangled by the chaotic mixture of traditions vs modern values and religion. At the end, the resilience of family and community shines above all else, despite the growing threat of greed and divisions between the young and old within families.
The film produced by Circle & Square Productions under the umbrella of Docubox East African Film Fund was officially selected by the Kenyan Film Commission as Kenya’s official submission to the Oscars Best International Film category.
Maia who is a renowned Kenyan musician, also composed the original soundtrack.
Ahead of the THE LETTER’s release, Maia & Chris shared, “Making The Letter over six years has been a transformational journey for both of us.”
Adding, “Each person in the film faces extreme personal risk by openly discussing the taboos around witchcraft, and it is our hope that the bravery of this family can help break the silent cycle of violence that continues to wreak havoc amongst families across the region.”
Filmed over six years, THE LETTER is a gripping family drama about a 95-year-old Grandmother with a fearless spirit, who must overcome dangerous accusations of witchcraft that are coming from within her own family.
Her grandson Karisa, travels home from the city to investigate, and it gradually emerges who sent the threatening letter and why.
In 2013, the wife-and-husband duo set out to research the story of the female freedom-fighter Mekatilili, an elderly priestess from the coast of Kenya who led an armed uprising against the British in 1913. Fighting the confiscation of traditionally-owned land by the colonialists, Mekatilili was eventually imprisoned and persecuted as a witch.
THE LETTER was scheduled to be released in Kenya in June 2020, but was unfortunately postponed due to COVID lock-down measures.
The film has so far played at some of the world's most prestigious international film festivals including DOC NYC, AFI Docs, IDFA, Durban and Docs Barcelona where it won a Special Jury Mention. It was also nominated for a One World Media Award as well as an African Movie Academy award for Best Documentary.
THE LETTER seeks to highlight the need for protection of the vulnerable elderly in Kenya, and make the end of elderly abuse a national priority by launching the hashtag #watunzewazee.
In the Director’s Statement, Maia & Chris conclude, “As we spoke with many elders about this oral history, we were saddened to hear of violence happening now against the elderly in the area, due to an outbreak of witchcraft accusations.”
ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS:
Maia Lekow is a Kenyan musician and filmmaker, known prominently as the front-woman of the band Maia & The Big Sky. She co-founded Circle & Square Productions with husband Christopher King in Nairobi, 2009. Maia was named a goodwill ambassador for UNHCR in 2013 and received an African Movie Academy Award for her song "Uko Wapi” in 2009. Maia has also composed the original score for THE LETTER, working with Emmy-award winning, Toronto-based composer Ken Myhr.
Christopher King is an award-winning filmmaker based in Nairobi, Kenya since 2007. Born in Australia, Chris studied at The School of Creative Arts at the University of Melbourne, with honors in Visual Media. With a background in the fine arts, Christopher has lived and worked in Kenya as a video artist, cinematographer and editor- winning an African Movie Academy Award in 2009 for editing FROM A WHISPER.
Executive Producers: Judy Kibinge, Peter Mudamba Mudamba, Cynthia Kane
Impact Team: Samia Omar, Sarah Mallia, Patience Baya
