Otis Janam may not be Kenya’s first indigenous language film that’s been scripted and produced by Kenyan filmmakers.
But what’s
certain after seeing the film’s official premiere last weekend at Diamond Plaza
is that Dr Zippy Okoth wrote her best story yet after bringing us a series of
wonderful stage plays, and short films producing them through her Legacy Film
Lab.
In Otis
Janam, which she produced with support from the
German
Embassy. GIZ, and the Kenya Film Commission, Dr Zippy with the Film Lab, includes
a fascinating set of social and cultural issues, framed by the beautiful,
wish-come-true love story. But it is complicated by everything from polygamy, alcoholism,
sexism and domestic violence.
And while
the film has been scripted and staged in Dhuluo, it’s got easy-to-read
subtitles and a demonstrative cast, so the story is not difficult to
understand.
And besides
drafting, directing, and co-producing, Zippy also assembled a cast of some of
the country’s best Lu view that
actors speaking in their mother tongues convey greater authenticity in their
performances. It liberates them to perform with greater freedom and inspiration
That is clear
from the moment we meet Otis Janam (Nick Kwach) and his best buddy Jarieko
(Okal Michael(). The two had been best friends since secondary school. They had
been a trio of smart guys at school, but after graduating form four, Number
three fled rural life at the lake and went to work in town. Jariwko got a job
close by, and Otis went back to the lake and took to drinking (not fishing),
and was now known by local villagers as lazy good-for-nothing sot who had once
been a great fisherman but now is simply a lost soul.
Meanwhile, Jarieko
has never given up on Otis. Instead, he tells him about an upcoming boat race,
similar to one Otis had won many years before when he, had not just won; he’d
broken records and been treated like an Olympic star by fellow villagers. But
he hadn’t retained that status after he lost in later years and taken to booze.
The crazy
thing about the upcoming race is that Api’s dad, Jatelo Okoth (Anthony Okoth) being
the richest man in the village and the one sponsoring the race, is also giving the
winner the incredible prize of his beautiful daughter, Api (Sarah Masese).
It seems obvious
from here on out that Otis will now have a fresh incentive to gain back his
once powerful prowess in order to win the lovely Api as his wife.
But Zippy’s
inclusion of Api as a prize to be commodified like a pot of gold or sack of
potatoes, is not so surprising in traditional culture. But it foreshadows how
and why women react near the end of our story.
In any case,
neither Otis nor Api had been married before, which had disturbed Jatelo, Api’s
dad and to Jarieko, Otis’s buddy.
Meanwhile,
Api’s an obedient daughter who does everything her father wishes. He wants his
legacy as the one-time greatest boat race champion to be remembered in the
grandson Api will have once she’s wed.
She doesn’t
yet know that to ensure he gets what he wants, he has organized the boat race,
including her as first prize.
When Otis
hears that she’s the prize, he suddenly regains his energy, enthusiasm for
life, and desire to get moving. He eventually wins the race and they fall madly
in love.
But
after
three kids and a busy, successful business of her own, she proposes he
get a second wife. He is shocked as are we. He finally accepts her plan. But
their consequences are painful and predictable.
It marks the
turning point that will change her life altogether. For no longer will she be
obedient and deferential to men. We see this after he’s gone back to boozing,
and he’s even become a wife beater.
After that, Api has a no-holds-barred
attitude once she hears there’s another boat-race the winner of which will win
their own boat plus a big cash award. She secretly starts training to race, and
is joined by other village women whose boat finally wins the race.
It’s a resounding success for women,
especially African women including Dr Zippy herself.
.
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