Horrific memories from his past haunt Lusala. He fled his violent father in the countryside at a young age. Although this event keeps stalking him, his wealthy adoptive family in the metropolis of Nairobi thinks it’s high time he worked on his future. He’s almost a man, so he is given a job as a car mechanic, with his own apartment above the garage. Lusala is motivated to make the best of things, but the demons from his past cannot be exorcised.
Actor Brian Ogola manages to depict Lusala’s inner turmoil with touching vulnerability. Lusala is on his way to adulthood, but is hampered by his formative childhood experiences. The traumas arise ever more intensely in his tiny new home. Tacking back and forth between intimate family drama and psychological thriller, this directorial debut by Kenyan actor and scriptwriter Mugambi Nthiga tackles masculinity, urbanisation and trauma in the country’s capital.
Film details
- Countries of production
- Germany, Kenya
- Year
- 2019
- Festival edition
- IFFR 2020
- Length
- 61'
- Medium/Format
- DCP
