Voice 1
Thank you for joining us for today’s Spotlight. I’m Joshua Leo.
Voice 2
And I’m Liz Waid. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
Many people have seen a Hollywood film.
Voice 2
And many people have seen a Bollywood or a Nollywood film.
Voice 1
The popular film industries of Hollywood, Bollywood, and Nollywood are very well known around the world. People consider their films to be some of the world’s best.
Voice 2
But, have you ever seen a Hot Sun film?
Voice 1
Hot Sun creates films from a new tradition. You see, Hollywood, Bollywood, and Nollywood films depend on big name film stars. And they use a lot of money to create their films. More money than many people could even imagine! But, Hot Sun does not have big name film stars in their films. And Hot Sun does not have a lot of money to make films. Instead, Hot Sun uses the resources and ideas of local Kenyan people to create their films. Their stories come from the people.
Voice 2
Hot Sun Films follows the Kenyan tradition of jua kali. Jua Kali is Swahili. And, it means “hot sun.”But, jua kali does not just mean hot sun. Jua Kali is a way of life.
Voice 1
Jua Kali includes all the people who work hard in the hot sun every day. These are people who work on street corners and on roadsides selling their goods. These are people who do not have a roof over their heads. They have no protection from the sun while they work. And these are people who have to use all their resources just to live from day to day. Jua Kali includes all the people who use traditional methods and traditional knowledge to survive.
Voice 2
Hot Sun Films hopes to use this traditional knowledge to tell the stories of Kenyan people, Kenyan people who work hard to survive. Hot Sun is a community based project. So, Hot Sun asks local people to help create the films. Local people share their ideas for the films. They are the film crew. They act in the films. And many of them do all of this without getting paid!
Voice 1
Nathan Collett is an independent film maker from the United States. But, he now lives in Kenya. He helped to organize Hot Sun. He also helps write and direct Hot Sun’s films. Here, he explains Hot Sun’s purpose.
Voice 3
“We are not interested in giving people money; we are giving them knowledge and giving them an opportunity to do it themselves.”
Voice 2
Hot Sun has just finished their second big project. It is a film called “Kibera Kid”. Kibera is Kenya’s largest slum. It is an area filled with poverty, crime and suffering. People in Kibera make their homes from earth and pieces of plastic. There are no pipes to carry away waste or to bring clean water to the people living there. Many of the children in Kibera join gangs as a way to survive slum life. These gangs are violent groups of young people. The gangs provide for the children when their parents are unable to. The Kibera slum is home to more than one million people.
Voice 1
News reports in Kenya often tell of violence in Kibera. So, many people have wrong ideas about this area. They believe that nothing good could ever come out of this large slum. But the people involved in making the film “Kibera Kid” think differently. They know that there is more to Kibera than just violence and suffering. They know because they live there themselves. They know that hope also lives in Kibera. And they want to share their stories of hope.
Voice 2
“Kibera Kid” is a short, twelve minute film. It tells the story of a young boy living in Kibera. His name is Otieno and he is twelve years old. Otieno has no parents. So, he lives with the Razors, a gang. This gang steals from other people. During the film Otieno is faced with a very important choice after a failed robbery attempt. Otieno must choose between saving an innocent man or staying with the Razors gang. If he chooses to save the man’s life, the Razors will not let Otieno be a part of their gang.
Voice 1
You will have to see the film yourself to know what Otieno chooses to do. But you do not have to see the film to understand the importance of this project. “Kibera Kid” helps people better understand the slum world of Kibera through the telling of Otieno’s story.
Voice 2
But, some people are against the film “Kibera Kid.” They believe that the film creates a false image for people living outside of Africa. They fear that people will think that the whole country of Kenya is a poor slum. But, one of the actors in the film, Godfrey Ojiambo, is not concerned about Kenya’s image. He says
Voice 4
“The truth is that Kibera exists and it is a slum.”
Voice 1
Godfrey does not believe that Kenya should hide the truth about the Kibera slum. He thinks that the story of “Kibera Kid” is a story of hope. He believes the film can help people understand slum life better. He thinks the film will educate other people about Kibera. Once people know the truth, then they can work together. They can develop solutions to the problems that the people of Kibera face.
Voice 2
Another actor, Ignatius, plays the boy in “Kibera Kid.” He had a message of hope for the people living in Kibera. He said,
Voice 5
“Always work hard. Do not say that I do not have a skill, so because I am in Kibera I cannot do anything. I am also from Kibera, I did not know that I would ever act. When the chance comes, you should try to use it to succeed.”
Voice 1
Hot Sun Films may not be a Hollywood, Bollywood, or Nollywood film. The films from Hot Sun may not have big film stars. But Hot Sun Films are making films that matter. These films share real stories of real people with real struggles. These films teach people living in one place about the people living in another place. And, more importantly, Hot Sun Films gives the people of the Kibera slum a voice. This project has let the people of Kibera share one of their stories with the world. Film festivals all over the world are currently showing “Kibera Kid.” And this short film has already won many awards.
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