Soul Boy

Soul Boy 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.

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
 * Polish Filmmakers Association Award - Ale Kino! International Young Audience Film Festival, Poznań, Poland
 * Best Short Film - Kalasha Awards, Nairobi, Kenya
 * Best Lead Actor: Samson Odhiambo - Kalasha Awards, Nairobi, Kenya
 * Best Scriptwriter: Billy Kahora - Kalasha Awards, Nairobi, Kenya
 * Best Actor: Samson Odhiambo - Kenya International Film Festival, Nairobi, Kenya
 * Best East African Film - Kenya International Film Festival, Nairobi, Kenya
 * 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
 * Best Editor: Ephantus Ng'ethe Gitungo - Africa Movie Academy Awards

Germany

 * 2010: Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale)

International

 * 2010
 * 2010: Gothenburg Film Festival
 * 2010: International Film Festival Rotterdam
 * 2010: Afrika-Filmfestival
 * 2010 Edinburgh International Film Festival
 * 2010 Durban International Film Festival
 * 2010 Sydney Film Festival
 * 2010 Cinemafrica Stockholm
 * 2010 Nairobi, Kenya Premiere
 * 2010 African Film Festival Tarifa
 * 2010 Sydney Film Festival
 * 2010 Festival du Cinéma Africain de Khouribga
 * 2010 Seoul Intl Youth Film Festival
 * 2010 Montreal World Film Festival
 * 2010 Cinemas D'Afrique
 * 2010 Cambridge Film Festival
 * 2010 Montreal Intl Black Film Festival
 * 2010 Films From the South OSLO
 * 2010 Hamptons Intl Film Festival
 * 2010 Warsaw Film Festival
 * 2010 Carlow African Film Festival
 * 2010 Discovery Film Festival
 * 2010 Chicago Intl Children's Film Festival
 * 2010 Carthage Film Festival
 * 2010 African Diaspora Film Festival NY
 * 2010 Palm Springs Film Festival
 * 2010 San Diego Black Film Festival
 * 2010 Adelaide Film Festival
 * 2010 FESPACO, Burkina Faso
 * 2010 Birds Eye View FF
 * 2010 FEBIOFEST
 * 2010 Toronto IFF for children
 * 2010 ReelWorld Film Festival
 * 2010 Ecrans Noirs - Cameroun
 * 2010 Rwanda Film Festival
 * 2010 Zanzibar Film Festival, Tanzania
 * 2010 Zimbabwe International Film Festival
 * 2010 Kenya International Film Festival
 * 2010 Amakula Kampala International FilmFestival, Uganda
 * 2010 Ethiopia Film Festival
 * 2010 Festival du film de Dakar, Senegal
 * 2010 Quintessence, Benin


 * 2011
 * Cinema Le Bretagne (France)
 * Plein La Bobine (France)
 * Addis Film Festival (Ethiopia)
 * Chennai Women In Films Festival (India)
 * Fiuggi Family Festival (Italy)
 * Salaam Festival (Denmark)
 * Cine Sparks Festival (Australia)

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."