Currently Browsing: Rafiki

Filmmaker Wanuri Kahiu Tells Stories Close to Home

Happy birthday, Wanuri Kahiu! Today we’re celebrating the incredible filmmaker behind Rafiki, From A Whisper, and Netflix’s Look Both Ways. 

Wanuri Kahiu is a filmmaker from Kenya, and known to be one of the most inspiring African filmmakers. Wanuri comes from a line of trailblazing women; her mother was one of the first female pediatricians in Nairobi, the area they lived in, and her aunt was a celebrated actress.read more.

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Julia’s Athena 2019 Experience

I kicked off Athena with a ‘Panel on Filmmaking’ with Julia Hart, writer and director of Fast Color, which had aired at the festival the evening before. Not only was Hart effortlessly witty and intelligent, it felt like she spoke to my soul. She introduced the concept of “uncentering” yourself as the director—in other words, removing yourself from your role as the sole decision-maker and voice of authority on set and opening up the floor for collaboration from the cast and the creative team.read more.

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Anika’s Athena 2019 Experiene

On the five-o’clock train to Barnard College I sat, ecstatically scrolling through the Athena Film Festival’s website to pick out which films screenings I wanted to see. This may make me look bad but despite being a junior film student I have admittedly never been to a film festival before. I had no idea walking into it how transformative that weekend would be for me.read more.

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