The state's response to the chaos has been akin to killing a mosquito with a hammer. We've witnessed unreasonable countrywide lockdowns and curfews enforced by a brutal police force that has led to the needless maiming and death of Kenyans. We've also witnessed the degeneration of society as Gender Based Violence cases soar in the country.
Pain, hurt and abuse of basic human rights has become part of our daily lives and many of us have found escapism in one form or another. The socially conscious amongst us are struggling to articulate what is going on around us in a way that can lead to social transformation. Some do it through music, others through art. For those who love the lens, Under Our Skin Festival is providing a platform for you to bring to the fore stories that touch on Human rights issues.
The purpose of the Under Our Skin 2021 film festival is to entertain, inform and inspire through the medium of film. They hope to motivate audiences and participants to question, debate, and reflect on the state of human rights in Kenya and internationally with an aim of engendering positive change for society and individuals. KenyaBuzz caught up with the organizers and they let us in on what goes on behind the scenes and why you should anticipate their film festival.
KB: Why Human rights as a theme and not something "Nice and palatable" like romance or fashion to offer people escapism during these surreal times?
Human rights violations have been a long-term human problem. It's the root cause of injustice and human violations happening worldwide. Modern-day problems have somehow stemmed from human rights violations that have happened in the past and the present. We see this as an opportunity to shed light on the topic of human rights and inspire positive change. Bringing people to talk or be aware of it is the first step to solving some of these problems especially at this time that we are experiencing one of the most historic pandemics ever. How do we shape the future positively for the coming generation? The world is at a point of reflection and choices we make now will impact the future for years to come
KB: Under our Skin Film Festival is timely given what is going on in the country and the world over. What kind of subjects have the submissions explored?
There's been a wide range of subjects within the submissions we've had through our Open Call in fiction, non-fiction and animation formats. The level of storytelling also shows how much work filmmakers are putting into showcasing the human rights issues people face. These include; women's rights, democracy, corruption, freedom of speech, healthcare, climate justice, and discrimination.
KB: How many submissions have you received so far?
We have received close to 100 submissions from Kenya alone and so much more from Africa and beyond.
KB: Do you work with activist groups in the grassroots to get an authentic picture of Human rights violations? If so, what have you found out?
So far we have engaged Mathare Social Justice Center (MSJC) who are the lead partners in implementing the festival. They are keen on exploring police brutality as this is a problem that has been rampant for so many years. Communities have lost the lives of young men to police violence. Young men from informal settlements have been criminalized. MSJC speaks against these injustices and focuses on other community engagement initiatives through pillars such as the Art of Social Justice, Human Rights Education (teaching communities about their constitutional rights), Disability Campaign, Right to water, Gender-Based Violence among others.
KB: When all the work is done and the selected films are showcased at the festival, do you fear some form of state backlash or censorship? It's a truism that cases of Human rights violations in Kenya often implicate the government
Yes, this is definitely a risk and we are being selective with the nature of selection, programming, and how we will showcase the films. We are working alongside organizations that share the same mission for change and are keen on how the festival reflects on our partner organizations. We hope to not inspire violent action but advocate for a peaceful approach to change. We are aware of the risk and putting in place measures to avert it.
KB: Why should we all anticipate this film festival and what are your plans for the future?
The Under Our Skin Film Festival aims to motivate participating audiences to question, debate, and reflect on the state of human rights both in Kenya and internationally.
We are excited to have our first edition feature in two locations, ie, Nairobi and Kilifi. We also plan on including more towns and cities across Kenya and East Africa in subsequent editions.
