Poetry: Kena James
Cinematography: Henry Schmid-James
Directors: Kena James and Henry Schmid-James
The film follows the pipeline of my mother -Ki- to my sister -Orah- where my mother was enrolled in a private all white girls school and experienced the decrepit racism Fela was introduced to upon his arrival to schooling in England. It was there that she discovered her intrigue in dance and movement which coincidentally has had the exact same effect on my sister who represents this growth passion to pay homage to her ancestors through said movement.
Every element of this film alludes back to a parallel with my family members, for example: my father living in Kenya and choosing to advocate for organic chemical free farming to combat this idea and motion that has been placed on the African people to use the waist and destruction that the Western world avoids. Land holds so much importance as to belonging and ownership and as a people, the Mau Mau rebellion recognized these loopholes within the government who exploited its own people and sacrificed the land of the natives to benefit the white man. We have always lacked the sense of dignity that comes with ownership so by protecting these rights we are acknowledging our roots- Dedan Kimathi.
I have been blessed to have been immersed in my roots from such a young age which allowed me to see past my color and pass my sex, looking into character. My goal is to one day create a world where we can all unify in success with blindness to elements that divide.
One of the most important works I’ve been able to produce during my time here at BSA, a relic with substantial meaning as to how I’ve been raised to live within a freedom inside myself and strive towards resilience. “Our African mind” is a play on words from the late and eccentric Fela Anikulapo Kuti, “You have the European system that you learned and understand, we however have an alien system which is the European system, and our minds are African.” I use my words in rebellion to the alien lifestyle and that is how I show up for my roots.
