Kenyan Actor Wins Award At International Festival

It may have taken forever to come out, but looks like Nairobi Half Life was worth the wait. The Kenyan film which finally made its debut at the Durban International Film Festival, was awarded with Best Actor at the end of the festival. The award went to Joseph Wairimu, who plays the main character in the film.

According to DIFF, “From the very opening moments of Nairobi Half Life, actor Joseph Wairimu charms us with his endearing characterization of Mwas. His role as a young actor who tries to resist becoming a reluctant hustler, transcends both comedy and drama. His performance embodies the hunger of Kenyan youth hoping to carve out better lives for themselves.”

NHL tells the story of Mwas, an optimistic young man who decides to move to the big city to pursue his dream of becoming an actor but ends up on the wrong end of the law and tries working his way out.

NHL had its international premiere in Durban and it will open in Nairobi for a theatrical run this month. The win, which was the only one by a Kenyan film, bodes well for the feature as it gets ready to hit the international festival circuite.

NHL was directed by Tosh Gitonga in his feature film debut and was produced by Tom Tykwer’s One Fine Day Films and Ginger Ink. The film was shot towards the tail-end of 2010 and took over a year and a half before it got its premiere. You can check out the Nairobi Half Life trailer below.
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