Soul Boy

Soul Boy
Soul Boy
Directed by	Hawa Essuman
Written by	Billy Kahora
Produced by	Marie Steinmann; Tom Tykwer; Siobhain "Ginger" Wilson; Guy Wilson; Verena Rahmig; Sarika Hemi Lakhani
Starring	Samson Odhiambo; Leila Dayan Opou; Krysteen Savane; Frank Kimani; Joab Ogolla; Lucy Gachanja; Katherine Damaris; Kevin Onyango Omondi; Calvin Shikuku Odhiambo; Nordeen Abdulghani
Cinematography	Christian Almesberger
Edited by	Ng´ethe Gitungo
Music by	Xaver von Treyer
Release dates	January 2010 (Göteborg); March 4, 2010 (Kenya); December 2, 2010 (Germany);
Running time	61 minutes
Country	Kenya
Language	Swahili

Soul Boy^[1] is a 2010 Kenyan drama film, written by Billy Kahora and directed by Hawa Essuman. It developed under the mentorship of German director and producer Tom Tykwer in Kibera, one of the largest slums in the African continent, in the middle of Nairobi, Kenya. The film has received five nominations at the 2011 Africa Movie Academy Awards.^[2]^[3]

The film originated in a workshop for young film enthusiasts from Nairobi, guided by German director Tom Tykwer.

Plot

Nairobi, Kenya. 14-year-old Abila lives with his parents in Kibera, one of the largest slums in East Africa. One morning the teenager discovers his father ill and delirious. Someone has stolen his soul, mumbles the father. Abila is shocked and confused but wants to help his father and goes in search of the right remedy. Supported by his girlfriend Shiku, he embarks on an adventurous journey that leads him right to the heart of the microcosm that is his hometown.

Cast

Samson Odhiambo as Abila
Leila Dayan Opou as Shiku
Krysteen Savane as Nyawawa
Frank Kimani as Macharia
Joab Ogolla as Abi's Father
Lucy Gachanja as Abi's Mother
Katherine Damaris as Aunt Susan
Kevin Onyango Omondi as Bojo
Calvin Shikuku Odhiambo as Kaka
Nordeen Abdulghani as Willie
Ginger Wilson as Claire
Nick Reding as Brian
John Githui as Matatu Tout
Tony Rimwa as Mr. Kamangu

Awards

Veto Award - Afrika Filmfestival Leuven, Belgium
Signis Award - Zanzibar International Film Festival^[4]
Polish Filmmakers Association Award - Ale Kino! International Young Audience Film Festival, Poznań, Poland
Best Short Film - Kalasha Awards, Nairobi, Kenya^[5]
Best Lead Actor: Samson Odhiambo - Kalasha Awards, Nairobi, Kenya^[5]
Best Scriptwriter: Billy Kahora - Kalasha Awards, Nairobi, Kenya^[5]
Best Actor: Samson Odhiambo - Kenya International Film Festival, Nairobi, Kenya^[6]
Best East African Film - Kenya International Film Festival, Nairobi, Kenya^[7]
Special Mention "Passeurs d’images" prize - Festival Ciné Junior (Ciné Junior film festival for Kids), Paris, France
The Young Jury Prize - Festival Ciné Junior, Paris, France
Best Fiction Award 2011 - European Spiritual Film Festival, Paris, France
Best Children's Film Award 2011 - Kirchliches Filmfestival Recklinghausen (de), Germany^[8]
Best Editor: Ephantus Ng'ethe Gitungo - Africa Movie Academy Awards^[9]

Festivals

Germany

2010: Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale)^[10]

International

2010: 2010: Gothenburg Film Festival^[11]; 2010: International Film Festival Rotterdam^[12]; 2010: Afrika-Filmfestival^[13]; 2010 Edinburgh International Film Festival^[14]; 2010 Durban International Film Festival^[15]; 2010 Sydney Film Festival^[16]; 2010 Cinemafrica Stockholm^[17]; 2010 Nairobi, Kenya Premiere; 2010 African Film Festival Tarifa^[18]; 2010 Sydney Film Festival^[19]; 2010 Festival du Cinéma Africain de Khouribga^[20]; 2010 Seoul Intl Youth Film Festival^[21]; 2010 Montreal World Film Festival^[22]; 2010 Cinemas D'Afrique^[23]; 2010 Cambridge Film Festival^[24]; 2010 Montreal Intl Black Film Festival^[25]; 2010 Films From the South OSLO^[26]; 2010 Hamptons Intl Film Festival^[27]; 2010 Warsaw Film Festival^[28]; 2010 Carlow African Film Festival^[29]; 2010 Discovery Film Festival^[30]; 2010 Chicago Intl Children's Film Festival^[31]; 2010 Carthage Film Festival^[32]; 2010 African Diaspora Film Festival NY^[33]; 2010 Palm Springs Film Festival^[34]; 2010 San Diego Black Film Festival^[35]; 2010 Adelaide Film Festival^[36]; 2010 FESPACO, Burkina Faso^[37]; 2010 Birds Eye View FF^[38]; 2010 FEBIOFEST^[39]; 2010 Toronto IFF for children^[40]; 2010 ReelWorld Film Festival^[41]; 2010 Ecrans Noirs - Cameroun^[42]; 2010 Rwanda Film Festival^[43]; 2010 Zanzibar Film Festival, Tanzania^[44]; 2010 Zimbabwe International Film Festival; 2010 Kenya International Film Festival^[45]; 2010 Amakula Kampala International FilmFestival, Uganda^[46]; 2010 Ethiopia Film Festival^[47]; 2010 Festival du film de Dakar, Senegal; 2010 Quintessence, Benin^[48]

2011

Cinema Le Bretagne (France)^[49]
Plein La Bobine (France)^[50]
Addis Film Festival (Ethiopia)^[51]
Chennai Women In Films Festival (India)^[52]
Fiuggi Family Festival (Italy)^[53]
Salaam Festival (Denmark)^[54]
Cine Sparks Festival (Australia)^[55]

Reception

Critical response

Andrew Onyango reviewing for KenyaBuzz was mesmerized by how much "surreal" the world of the movie is, adding that the scripts use of Swahili strengthened the film's impact: "The Swahili speaking audience (particularly those exposed to the dialect being used) feel a powerful sense of identification. There is nothing like hearing it firsthand because the translation loses some of the impact of the words."^[56]

References

^ "Soul Boy | Movies | KenyaBuzz". www.kenyabuzz.com. Retrieved 2016-06-20.
^ Soul Boy at IMDb
^ "AMAA Nominations 2011". Africa Movie Academy Awards. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
^ "2010 Winners. Signis Award". ziff.or.tz. Zanzibar International Film Festival. 2010-08-25. Archived from the original on 2010-08-25. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Kalasha 2010 Winners". www.kalashaawards.co.ke. Archived from the original on 2012-11-22. Retrieved 2018-04-27.
^ Kenya International Film Festival: Best Actor^{[permanent dead link‍]}
^ Kenya International Film Festival: Best East African Film^{[permanent dead link‍]}
^ "Programm 2011". www.kirchliches-filmfestival.de (in German). Kirchliches Filmfestival Recklinghausen. Archived from the original on 2017-03-15. Retrieved 2024-01-30.. No mention of the prize here.
^ Best Editor, African Movie Academy Awards Archived 2011-04-03 at the Wayback Machine
^ Berlinale Generation 2010: Soul Boy
^ Gothenburg Film Festival: Soul Boy
^ "Soul Boy Hawa Essuman IFFR 2010 Signals - Where Is Africa 60' Kenia2010". International Film Festival Rotterdam. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
^ Afrika Filmfestival 2010 in Leuven, Belgium: Soul Boy
^ Edinburgh International Film Festival: Soul Boy
^ Durban International Film Festival: Soul Boy
^ Sydney Film Festival: Soul Boy
^ Cinemafrica Stockholm: Soul Boy
^ African FF Tarifa
^ Sydney Film Festival: Soul Boy
^ Khouribga Maroc: Soul Boy
^ Seoul Intl Youth FF
^ Montreal World FF
^ Cinemas D'Afrique: Soul Boy
^ Cambridge Film Festival: Soul Boy
^ Montreal Intl Black Film Festival
^ Films From the South Oslo: Soul Boy
^ Hamptons Intl Film Festival
^ Warsaw Film Festival
^ Carlow African Film Festival: Soul Boy
^ Discovery Film Festival
^ Chicago Intl Children's Film Festival
^ Carthage Film Festival
^ African Diaspora Film Festival
^ Palm Springs IFF: Soul Boy
^ San Diego Black Film Festival
^ Adelaide Film Festival: Soul Boy
^ FESPACO
^ Birds Eye View Film Festival: Soul Boy
^ FEBIOFEST
^ Toronto IFF for children: Soul Boy
^ ReelWorld Film Festival
^ Ecrans Noirs
^ Rwanda Film Festival
^ Zanzibar Film Festival: Soul Boy
^ Kenya International Film Festival
^ Amakula Kampala International FilmFestival
^ Ethiopia Film Festival
^ Quintessence
^ Cinema Le Bretagne
^ Plein La Bobine
^ Addis Film Festival
^ Chennai Women In Films Festival
^ Fiuggi Family Festival
^ Salaam Festival
^ Cine Sparks Festival
^ "'Soul Boy' Review". www.kenyabuzz.com. Retrieved 2016-06-20.

African Film Festival of Cordoba-FCAT (license CC BY-SA-3.0)

External links

[1] "Soul Boy | Movies | KenyaBuzz". www.kenyabuzz.com. Retrieved 2016-06-20.

[2] Soul Boy at IMDb

[3] "AMAA Nominations 2011". Africa Movie Academy Awards. Retrieved 12 March 2011.

[4] "2010 Winners. Signis Award". ziff.or.tz. Zanzibar International Film Festival. 2010-08-25. Archived from the original on 2010-08-25. Retrieved 30 January 2024.

[kalashaawards-5] "Kalasha 2010 Winners". www.kalashaawards.co.ke. Archived from the original on 2012-11-22. Retrieved 2018-04-27.

[6] Kenya International Film Festival: Best Actor^{[permanent dead link‍]}

[7] Kenya International Film Festival: Best East African Film^{[permanent dead link‍]}

[8] "Programm 2011". www.kirchliches-filmfestival.de (in German). Kirchliches Filmfestival Recklinghausen. Archived from the original on 2017-03-15. Retrieved 2024-01-30.. No mention of the prize here.

[9] Best Editor, African Movie Academy Awards Archived 2011-04-03 at the Wayback Machine

[10] Berlinale Generation 2010: Soul Boy

[11] Gothenburg Film Festival: Soul Boy

[12] "Soul Boy Hawa Essuman IFFR 2010 Signals - Where Is Africa 60' Kenia2010". International Film Festival Rotterdam. Retrieved 30 January 2024.

[13] Afrika Filmfestival 2010 in Leuven, Belgium: Soul Boy

[14] Edinburgh International Film Festival: Soul Boy

[15] Durban International Film Festival: Soul Boy

[16] Sydney Film Festival: Soul Boy

[17] Cinemafrica Stockholm: Soul Boy

[18] African FF Tarifa

[19] Sydney Film Festival: Soul Boy

[20] Khouribga Maroc: Soul Boy

[21] Seoul Intl Youth FF

[22] Montreal World FF

[23] Cinemas D'Afrique: Soul Boy

[24] Cambridge Film Festival: Soul Boy

[25] Montreal Intl Black Film Festival

[26] Films From the South Oslo: Soul Boy

[27] Hamptons Intl Film Festival

[28] Warsaw Film Festival

[29] Carlow African Film Festival: Soul Boy

[30] Discovery Film Festival

[31] Chicago Intl Children's Film Festival

[32] Carthage Film Festival

[33] African Diaspora Film Festival

[34] Palm Springs IFF: Soul Boy

[35] San Diego Black Film Festival

[36] Adelaide Film Festival: Soul Boy

[37] FESPACO

[38] Birds Eye View Film Festival: Soul Boy

[39] FEBIOFEST

[40] Toronto IFF for children: Soul Boy

[41] ReelWorld Film Festival

[42] Ecrans Noirs

[43] Rwanda Film Festival

[44] Zanzibar Film Festival: Soul Boy

[45] Kenya International Film Festival

[46] Amakula Kampala International FilmFestival

[47] Ethiopia Film Festival

[48] Quintessence

[49] Cinema Le Bretagne

[50] Plein La Bobine

[51] Addis Film Festival

[52] Chennai Women In Films Festival

[53] Fiuggi Family Festival

[54] Salaam Festival

[55] Cine Sparks Festival

[56] "'Soul Boy' Review". www.kenyabuzz.com. Retrieved 2016-06-20.

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v t e Works by Tom Tykwer
Feature films	Deadly Maria (1993) Winter Sleepers (1997) Run Lola Run (1998) The Princess and the Warrior (2000) Heaven (2002) Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006) The International (2009) Three (2010) Cloud Atlas (2012) A Hologram for the King (2016)
Short films	True (2004) Paris, je t'aime (2006; segment "Faubourg Saint-Denis") Germany 09: 13 Short Films About the State of the Nation (2009; segment "Feierlich reist") 60 Seconds of Solitude in Year Zero (2011; segment)
Writer only	Life Is All You Get (1997)
Producer only	Absolute Giganten (1999) Soundless (2004) A Friend of Mine (2006) Soul Boy (2010) Nairobi Half Life (2012) Veve (2014)
Television	Sense8 (2015–2018) Babylon Berlin (2017–present)