Kibera Kid
Encyclopedia
Kibera Kid is an award winning short film set in the Kibera
slums in Nairobi
, Kenya
. It was written, directed and co-produced by Nathan Collett
in collaboration with the locals of Kibera.
This twelve minute film featured Kibera actors in the principal roles. It has played at film festivals worldwide including the Berlin Film Festival and it won a Student EMMY from Hollywood. It has been profiled by the BBC
, Reuters
and Al Jazeera English. In April 2009, a feature film follow up to Kibera Kid was shot. The full length film focuses on tribal conflict and the possibility of reconciliation. The film had a larger effect as it led to the formation of Hot Sun Foundation
which trains the youth of the slums to make their own films.
Kibera
Kibera is a division of Nairobi Area, Kenya, and neighbourhood of the city of Nairobi, located from the city centre. Kibera is the largest slum in Nairobi, and the second largest urban slum in Africa...
slums in Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
. It was written, directed and co-produced by Nathan Collett
Nathan Collett
-Overview:Collett's work focuses on those on the margins of society as well as on environmental issues. He has filmed across the world, including location footage in Somalia and South America. He works both in fictional films and on documentaries, with a specific focus on Kibera in Kenya, Africa's...
in collaboration with the locals of Kibera.
This twelve minute film featured Kibera actors in the principal roles. It has played at film festivals worldwide including the Berlin Film Festival and it won a Student EMMY from Hollywood. It has been profiled by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, Reuters
Reuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
and Al Jazeera English. In April 2009, a feature film follow up to Kibera Kid was shot. The full length film focuses on tribal conflict and the possibility of reconciliation. The film had a larger effect as it led to the formation of Hot Sun Foundation
Hot Sun Foundation
Hot Sun Foundation is a project of Hot Sun Films. The Hot Sun Foundation is a non-profit organization that works in Nairobi, Kenya and with the young people of the Urban Slums of Africa to help train and expose their talents and potential on the world stage...
which trains the youth of the slums to make their own films.
Awards
- 2006 Hamptons International Film FestivalHamptons International Film FestivalHamptons International Film Festival was founded to provide a forum for independent filmmakers from around the world to express their vision. The Festival is traditionally held for five days in mid-October in theatre venues from Montauk to Southampton and attracts roughly 15,000 visitors annually...
winner of Best Student Film - 2006 Kenya International Film Festival winner of Best short film
- 2006 Angelus Film Festival winner of Director's Choice
- 2007 Student Emmys winner of Best Children's program
Plot
Kibera Kid is the story of Otieno, a 12 year old orphan from Kibera living with a gang of thieves who must make a choice between gang life and redemption. The story is fiction but the circumstances and reality depicted are not. Crime and poverty are common in Kibera, yet there are many who will stand for a better life no matter how bad things may seem.