SILENT BATTLE

Silent: Refraining from speech

Battle: Any conflict or struggle

Silent Battle:

Inner struggle with no platform to express oneself

No ear to listen, No hand to clutch on.

Silent battle is a short film I did in 2010 as a class project at Kibera Film School. It was a requirement for graduation. Each student had to produce two films, a short documentary and a short drama.

What is the film about?

The film is about 16 year old Vinnie who comes back from school for holidays hoping to define his sexual orientation. He seeks help/counsel from his friends, religious leader but none of them listens to him. They all speak condemnation to him. He doesn’t state his problem openly, instead he talks around it hoping either of these people will sit down and listen to him. He breaks up with his long time girl friend Flo. His mother who is the only family he has doesn’t give him any attention; she is always busy with other women things. Eventually Vinnie feels not wanted and tries to commit suicide.

Why this film?

During my first days at Kibera Film School one person asked me what kind of filmmaker would I want to be? Well the Spielbergs, Mel Gibsons, James Camerons, and our very own home filmmakers are already there. Do I want to compete with them?  Then this will be a loosing competition. I wanted to be different, unique. A filmmaker who tells stories with a human touch. My stories will be derived from my observations, my life and that of my friends, my literature etc.

Silent battle was derived from a story I read in a daily, my friends life, and partially my life, part of it took place a few days earlier at school. And so I wanted to bring all this together and let my audience have their own opinion.

The writer, producer, director Josphat Keya in a scene as Priest with Wilfred Masea as Vinnie the main character

Is the film a gay film?

Silent battle is not about if being gay or not being is right. It is not about telling people that you should accept gay people or you should condemn gay people or even banishing gay people. It is a life of a young man going through struggles that many young men are going through out there. They can’t sand and speak about them for fear of being either stigmatized or something worse. If you watch all the characters in the film, they represent different views of how people see this issue of sexual orientation. My film is telling my audience that hey, let’s not burry our necks down, there are issues that need to be heard, addressed. Let’s be fair, we shouldn’t shout curses to anyone, be wise with our statements, lest we loose our loved ones.

What was the reaction of your colleagues at school when they heard you were going to do this film?

Well, they did not take it offensive or do anything that could discourage me, instead they stood by me, and all the characters except for two were my classmates. My crew too was from my class. I have to say I received great amount of support from them. The film that is out there is actually a reshoot, the original film got lost even before it reached postproduction. My colleagues sacrificed a day to help me reshoot the whole thing again. I appreciate all their support.

I have to say my church too, when I went there to ask for space, I was even given more, the then youth chaplain gave me the priest robe and coached me how a priest move. From the church compound I used tow locations in the film. Mark you I had not made any prior bookings.

Any reactions from the audience you screened to?

The reaction is always that it is a gay film. Some ask me if I’m gay, some say that the main character Vinnie is truly gay, but I love the debate that goes on, at least they have something to talk about the film. Now something interesting is that, I screened it to a group of youths in East Nairobi. The reaction was awe; they wanted to meet this person behind the film, as I was not present during the screening. They came to the office. During our conversation with them they asked me why couldn’t I do a part two of the film. Really, this got me thinking that the story of Vinnie had just began. But this time round I wanted to involve more people in developing the 2^nd part.

Wow, that must have made you feel proud. Has your parents ever watched this?

Yes, my dada did during my graduation; actually it was the only short film that was screened then. It was a large crowd, I remember running to hide in one of the classrooms.

Why did you run? Weren’t you proud of your work?

No it’s not about being proud, but I did not know how my dad would react to this, actually when I came out while the film was going on, everyone was looking at me with this sad face. My dad was smiling. I think when he saw that scene where I acted as priest, which made him feel good. He is a church person.

So do you think he understood the film?

Actually to this day, I am not sure if he got the concept of the film. The only thing I here him saying is when am I going to show him the film with the priest. But I will not ignorant that he doesn’t know issues of sexual orientation exist. The thing is that from his generations it’s close to a taboo to speak about sexuality to your child, or should I call it shyness?

Are you gay?

Are you asking me because I did the film?

No, it’s just because when I watch it, I see someone’s life in it. This is indeed a story about someone struggling.

Great, it’s true its; about a struggle in someone’s life, as I said in the beginning, that my stories come from friends, observations etc. So Silent Battle is a story of many youths out there.

I suggest that we stick to the film. Thanks

So when you say friends, do you mean you have gay friends?

Probably yes, but they have never come out to say so. I think maybe they fear how I might react when they tell me. But sometimes I suspect that some are gay or even don’t really know who they are.

Have you ever asked them?

No, one thing with me if I suspect something in you that you do not want to share it, but you are showing it, I tend to speak about it in a way that communicates to that it is okay you can share it. But, I think that hasn’t worked.

So if your film were screened in a big festival, would you still hide the way you did during your graduation?

I would not, I have gained courage to stand by this film, I will respond to the crowd. If I am shy on my film, then what kind of a filmmaker am I. Silent Battle is from me, and I have to stand by it.

Any film festivals you have submitted it to?

LOLA Kenya screen film festival 2010, Sojourner Film Festival, A film Festival in Uganda and recently NYICFF New York International Children's Film Festival, requested to have a copy of it after watching it online. They were sourcing films for the 2012 edition of NYCIFF. But with reasons I wasn’t told it did not qualify to be screened. But that’s a recognition am proud of.

Before I forget, who is your target audience?

It is general, parents, high school students, teachers, religious leaders, etc.

Something about part 2?

Yes I am excited that a team of script writers from Kibera Film School have come together to develop the part two. One of them requested this and I am glad that the others willingly came on board. We are still on the planning process; the script is not yet done. We are doing more research. Part 2 will answer the hanging questions part one left, they will be new challenges, new characters, but also see the cut off of some characters as well. Watch this space for more. Actually am developing a blog on this.

Any last words?

I want to say this that we are living in a society where we do not give voice to some members of the society because we have already defined what and who they are and how they should be handled. We are all stigmatizing and being stigmatised in some way. We need to get out and listen to others, let’s give ears to all these voices that are whispering to us, if we do not unclench our fists and hold our bros and sis hands they will all be washed away down the stream. I am only saying tuwasikize; the next step will be determined by what they tell us.

To the Vinnies who feel that don have a hand to clutch on, hang in there, we know that you exist and your voices will be heard through film.

Watch the full film here: http://vimeo.com/14900073