Black Genes!

“I did it! Now to edit.”

“It” is the short film (with a rock theme) that Kagure Njagi - yet another ROFFEKE founding member - asked me to help her write:

“Hey! I got Mostafa to be in my production, but I have no idea what the production is…HELP!”

So I helped. We met at the bomb blast park to discuss the way forward. We brainstormed about the concept and she finally came up with one that we both liked. And though I was swamped, I agreed to send her the script by evening the next day.

3.30pm the next day. I still hadn’t sat down to tackle the script. The truth was, I was afraid and was suffering from self doubt: “Who are you to write another script when you haven’t even finished typing and proof-reading the one you started four years ago?”

But at 4pm, I killed that nasty, accusing voice, prayed to my higher power and hoped for the best. Two hours later, I emerged with the script! Four days later, Kagure shot the film:

“I did it! Now to edit.”

And yesterday, Kagure sent me two promo pics for BLACK GENES.I am soooooo proud of her!:-)

Guerilla Film Festival! (The gothic side of ROFFEKE):-)

Yesterday, I was stuck in between two worlds, film and rock. Which is understandable since it was supposed to be a rock film festival. Turned out to be more of a rock BAND festival.Anyway.

I had to cut Bloodshed's wonderful performance short. We were running behind schedule and the management was insisting that I show the first movie, Elvis' Grave. And since it was supposed to be a rock FILM festival....Anyway.

The motto of the festival is Friendship, fun, freedom. I made friends. I suppose some people had fun. But I thought there was very little freedom. And it's difficult to be friendly and have fun without freedom. So now I'm going to concentrate on the freedom aspect of the festival. Freedom is...messy.Dictatorial. Undemocratic. Guerilla-ish. People. I will have my festival. And this time, things will go my way.

*putting on war paint*

No more miss nice guy:-)

Um, if anyone has anything good to say about yesterday, please let me know. Don't bother mentioning the negative aspects. They will be forever etched in my mind. They will be fodder for my guerilla warfare:-)

Benta!

Ok, so Cajetan Boy invites me to the premiere of Benta, a Kenya film for which he had written the screenplay. And the invitation was very clear that the dress code was "strictly black tie". Woe. Weeping. Gnashing of teeth. The last time I wore formal was on my Graduation Day. About five years ago.I didn't have 'formal shoes' so on Friday I went shoe shopping. A very traumatizing experience! It was so traumatizing that I bought myself three novels just to make myself feel better:-)

So anyway, Sunday, 12th, the day of the premiere. I reach the venue, Kenya National Theatres and what is this I see? Only about two other people are wearing formal. AND I'M ONE OF THE TWO! ALMOST EVERYONE IS WEARING CASUAL!!! To make matters worse, I see Cajetan and he's wearing casual! Cajetan, ushindwe!:-)

Fast forward to about an hour later. I'm sitting in the darkened theatre watching Benta. My formal outfit (including my short skirt which is riding dangerously up my thighs) is forgotten. Everything is forgotten. Because this movie Benta is the best Kenyan movie I have watched so far!

So why am I mentioning a non-rock themed movie like Benta on a rock film blog? Yes, Benta doesn't have a rock theme but it touches on some of the same things that we Kenyan rock fans are struggling with. There is the class issue. Benta is a househelp working for an upper class family. Rock in Kenya is considered 'upper class' music. There is the problem of cliche's. Benta is hardworking, intelligent and perceptive. But her employers consider her to be just a stereotypical househelp. Kenyan rock fans are stereotyped as 'trying to be white'. Or being 'devil worshippers'. Which brings me to the other issue that Benta touches on. The hypocrisy of the church. It's Benta's church-going employers who treat her like a non-human being. It is the church that is most critical of ALL rock music, whether Christian or not.

Enough said. It doesn't matter whether you like rock or not. If you like good quality, entertaining movies that don't preach at you but still manage to put their point across about the social ills plaguing this great country of ours, Kenya, then Benta is the movie to watch.

BENTA

SIX SHOWS ONLY.
18TH and 19TH AUGUST:

ALLIANCE FRANCAISE.

10:00 AM 3:00 PM 6:00 PM

CHARGES--- ADULTS 300/=.STUDENTS:200/=

ADVANCE BOOKING HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Similarities and differences between April 22 Trackers gig and August 11 Ueta gig:-)

Similarities:
1)At both gigs, the first songs played were by my favourite bands!Trackers gig, Murphy's Flaw played Otherside by RHCP. Ueta gig, Ueta played 'Meant to live' by Switchfoot! Woooooo! In between us helping Ueta sing the song, Mercy said to me that she was seeing the music video in her mind's eye. You know, the walls falling down etc. People. Bands. That's the power of a good music video. Not only are videos good for promoting your songs, they also ensure that you stay in Mercy's - I mean people's - mind long afterthe establishment has stopped playing your songs on the radio:-) (Or way before the establishment realises that they need to be playing your songs on the radio!)

2)LAST YEAR'S TRAGEDY!!!:- ))))))))

3) Girl power! Tracker's gig. Murphy's Flaw. Girl power! Ueta gig. UPSTREAM! Wooooooo! They did that beautiful song from "A walk toremember" Love that movie! Love that song! Love Upstream!:-) As Kagure (yet another ROFFEKE founding member) and I were helping Upstream sing the song, Kagure told me she hasn't watched the movie. Kagz, again, GO WATCH THE MOVIE! I highly recommend it:-)

Differences
1)Metanoia did a hip hop thingy.Wasn't bad actually. They reminded meof Outkast. And I think Outkast have the rock 'n' roll spirit, even if they don't do rock music. 'Hey ya' is pretty close to rock, I think. Very Beatle-esque, don't you think Daudi?;-) But I digress.Loved Metanoia's breakdancing lol!

2)There was CRUNK???! Yes you heard right. Crunk. At first I thought I had misheard the MC (who did a very good job MC-ing by the way) but Mercy assured me that yes, coming up next was Crunk. My spirits sunk.But then this dude does his crunk thing and it is sooo full of energy that it's almost...rock! Almost. But not quite:-) I was glad when wewent back to rock but I must admit that Jesse ALMOST made me like Crunk. Almost. But not quite:-)

3)Then it was time for Moses and Ueta. Or was it Moses and Metanoia? It doesn't really matter cause all I could see was Moses. He has GREAT stage presence and has a lot of fun on stage. Well done Moses.There was a lot of other great stuff. The girl with the AMAZING voice who sang that Evanescence song. The group that rapped, can't remembertheir name. etc etc. We left early, at around 6.30pm so maybe someonewho stayed longer can tell us what happened next?

Tahi (THANK YOU!!!) filmed the gig so those who weren't there, you can watch it on DVD. We will try and screen it at the festival, if things go my way, which for the past few days have not been going my way.Anyway. Thanks Ueta. Thanks Nairobi Baptist. I had a lovely time! I almost didn't come cause, well, I was in a mood.:-)But I'm glad I did!

Veni, Vidi, VENUE!!!

Finally! ROFFEKE has a venue! Joy! Jubilation!

Venue: Pavement (was also the venue for the launch of Kenyan chapter of Future Shorts)
Day: 16th August 2007 (the 30th death - oh excuse me - "disappearance" anniversary of the King of rock 'n' roll, Elvis Presley.)
Time: From 7pm
Entry fee: Ksh 300

Hope to see you there!

Special thanks to Elijah Kahara and the Kenya Film Commission.