The 32nd Pan African Film & Arts Festival, America’s largest Black-themed filmfest, took place Feb. 7-19 in Los Angeles. During Black History Month PAFF annually screens movies ranging from Hollywood studio productions and Hallmark Channel TV-movies to indies, foreign films, documentaries, low budget productions, shorts, animation, etc. Films span the spectrum from Oscar nominees to hard-to-find gems from Africa, the Caribbean, America and beyond that L.A. viewers are unlikely to be able to see at any other venue. Here are reviews of just a couple of the films audiences had an opportunity to see.
African director Charles Uwagbai’s charming “Kipkemboi” is a well-made Kenyan-Canadian co-production that has almost every ingredient for a film to succeed. In no particular order these factors include: A David versus Goliath storyline that has you rooting for the underdog; attractive protagonists; hiss-worthy villains; plot twists; young love; on location shooting at exotic places; strong female characters; an uplifting POV; and more.
“Kipkemboi” is set in Metipso, Kenya; the traditional village may be hundreds of kilometers from the urbanized capital of Nairobi, yet the title character (Thamela Mpumlwana plays Kipkemboi) is such a mathematical genius that MIT offers this teenager a scholarship to study abroad. But tragedy strikes before Kipkemboi can move to Massachusetts to study, and he opts to stay in his hamlet to help his mother and family. Nevertheless, with some encouragement from another village adolescent, Chipchirchir (the effervescent Elsie Chidera Abang), Kipkemboi pursues his visions and sets up a computer lair inside of a mud hut.
From there the math whiz kid works on and invents an extremely complicated algorithm that enables Kipkemboi to play global capital markets and make millions. However, for those who think money solves everything, Kipkemboi’s gaming of Wall Street futures trading, et al, triggers a series of dilemmas, ranging from jealous villagers to nefarious operatives hired by financial sector interests. The latter track the lad down to his remote hamlet in the Kenyan countryside, where they intend to take over his algorithm – or neutralize the pesky teenager who has upended the world’s stock markets.
Kipkemboi and Chipchirchir go on the run, and plan to clandestinely meet with the mysterious underground resistance leader Simba, who in the movie’s subplot is denounced as a “terrorist” by the Kenyan establishment the social justice warrior opposes. Simba’s deep voice is heard throughout Kipkemboi online and in the media criticizing Kenya’s powers-that-be – this opposition leader reminded me of the shadowy Emmanuel Goldstein, the so-called “enemy of the people” in George Orwell’s anti-totalitarian classic “1984.” (Without disclosing a plot spoiler, the surprising revelation of who Simba really is is one of Kipkemboi’s best moments, sure to make viewers smile.)
“Kipkemboi” has a strong socially conscious subtext as the village youth becomes a political prisoner. If redistribution of wealth to the least of these among us is a socialist principle, suffice it to say that “Kipkemboi” cleverly achieves this – but through exploiting the capitalist system. The film also is very positive about the role of women as strong equals. Not only is Kipkemboi’s mother supportive, but Chipchirchir is no mere cheerleader. She does more than inspire Kipkemboi; she drives their getaway vehicle and this village lass has dreams of her own, aspiring to become an attorney. Watching the romance of the appealing leads blossom is also beguiling.
The engrossing direction by Charles Uwagbai, a veteran Nigerian filmmaker (see: https://www.imdb.com/ name/nm5150818/?ref_=tt_ov_dr and https://www. newrealfilms.com/) who divides his time between Toronto and Africa, is admirable. Uwagbai elicits warm, realistic performances from his young thesps and the rest of the cast. Joel Richardson’s screenplay is engaging, although some may find certain plot points to be implausible. (But you never know – apparently, there really is some sort of high tech program going on at a real Kenyan village called Metipso – see: https://metipsoportal.com/home.) Although the interiors of this co-production were shot in Canada, movie lovers will relish the peek “Kipkemboi” provides of Kenya’s countryside and contemporary urban Nairobi.
The PAFF audience at “Kipkemboi”’s world premiere enthusiastically reacted very positively to the movie in a post-screening Q&A attended in person by director Uwagbai. African American theatergoers repeatedly remarked at how happy they were to see positive depictions of Africans, who are often portrayed on Western screens as troubled people in media portrayals. Ticket buyers also said they enjoyed the positive picture “Kipkemboi” painted of women in this movie that also co-stars the beautiful Vinessa Antoine, who, according to IMDB.com, is the “the first Black Canadian person to lead a dramatic show in Canada.”
The captivating Kipkemboi epitomizes what the Pan African Film Festival is all about – presenting Black-themed productions in the heart of the world capital of cinema, which Angeleno moviegoers might otherwise never get a chance to see. Uwagboi told the PAFF ticket buyers that he is in talks with streaming services about releasing Kipkemboi and hopefully through streaming or even theatrical distribution, a wide American audience will have an opportunity to see this highly entertaining, enjoyable, thought-provoking film about the teenage genius from Kenya.
Catherine Masud’s must-see documentary “A Double Life” is a gripping account of New Left icon Stephen Bingham. The activist attorney spent years underground in Eastern Europe and Paris when he fled the USA after he was accused of passing a gun to legendary Black Panther George Jackson at San Quentin shortly before a bloody shootout at the prison in 1971. Following about 15 years on the lam, the resulting court case is compellingly rendered as Bingham, son of a prominent Connecticut family, fights for his life and freedom. This excellent, well-crafted nonfiction film brings radical history alive, including interviews with Angela Davis and many others, as well as archival clips featuring Black Panther leaders Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale. A bravura, stand-up-and-cheer documentary that’s not to be missed.
For more info on PAFF see: https://paff2024.eventive.org/welcome.
Ed Rampell is a film historian and critic based in Los Angeles. Rampell is the author of “Progressive Hollywood, A People’s Film History of the United States” and he co-authored “The Hawaii Movie and Television Book,” now in its third edition. This first appeared at hollywoodprogressive.com.
From The Progressive Populist, March 15, 2024
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