The Global Seminar “Documentary Filmmaking in Kenya: The Art of Science Storytelling,” is co-sponsored by the Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies, the Princeton Atelier and the Program in Visual Arts of the Lewis Center for the Arts, and by the Princeton Environmental Institute.

For six weeks this summer, fifteen students from Princeton University in New Jersey and five students from various Kenyan universities worked together with the filmmakers Su Friedrich and Katie Carpenter and their teaching assistant, Karim Kara, to produce short documentaries about issues related to wildlife conservation in East Africa. Their base was the Mpala Research Center in Laikipia and the research scientists at Mpala were their primary sources. They worked in teams of four, sharing all the tasks of directing, writing, shooting, sound recording and editing.

On Saturday 11AM FORD HALL at the Storymoja Hay Festival the filmmakers will showcase their Première Film Screenings of the The Matriarch, Curse of the Gazelle King, Nature’s Nurturers, Re-alignments: A Zebra’s Story, The Lost Boys of Laikipia. Followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers; Muhinza Bushoki, Kevin Midigo, Loise Njagi, Maryanne Wangui Njuguna, Victor Oloo and teaching assistant Karim Kara.

Presented by Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies, the Princeton Atelier &the Program in Visual Arts of the Lewis Center for the Arts, & by the Princeton Environmental Institute.

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THE MATRIARCH

6:25

“The Matriarch” follows the life of Jada, an elephant and the matriarch of her family who has survived a brutal poaching attack. Jada’s story is interwoven with a riveting science story about the research being done at Mpala which allow us to see just how important elephants are for the environment and what is at risk if they no longer exist in the wild.

Sarah Jeong

Loise Njagi

Brady Valashinas

Réka Zempléni

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CURSE OF THE GAZELLE KING

(2013, 7:59)

“Curse of the Gazelle King” investigates the elusive lives of Grant’s Gazelles through one man’s story about a young gazelle named Lenana.  Starring John Njuguna.

Lily Dattilo

Cameron Johanning

Maryanne Wangui Njuguna

Spencer Rodriguez

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NATURE’S NURTURERS

(2013, 7:18)

“Nature’s Nurturers” reveals the work of the Northern Kenya Conservation Clubs, focusing on the primary and secondary schools of Laikipia. The film explores the ways in which the clubs are using experiential learning to educate students about local conservation issues, and how the students then share what they’ve learned with their families and villages as well. The result: improved community-based conservation of wildlife and habitats throughout the region.

Raghav Gandotra

Dayna Li

Charlotte Maher Levy

Kevin Midigo

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REALIGNMENTS: A ZEBRA STORY

(2013, 6:40)

“Realignments: A Zebra Story” examines the differences in appearance and behavior of the two zebra species in Kenya, providing insight into the endangerment of the Grevy’s zebras and their uncertain future.

Lydia Corbett

Victor Oloo

Amber Stewart

Mason Williams

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THE LOST BOYS OF LAIKIPIA

(2013, 5:48)

In Central Kenya, Professor Rosie Woodroffe runs the Samburu-Laikipia Wild Dog Project in hopes of gaining a better understanding of the African Wild Dog, an endangered species that disappeared from the region the region in the 1980s but has since returned. What will it take to protect the wild dogs and help them thrive once more?

Muhinza Bushoki

Kelsey Dennison

Nick Ellis

Kemy Lin

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Muhinza Bushoki

Raised in an artistic environment, Muhinza Bushoki was greatly encouraged by his parents and siblings to explore his passion for media and visual arts. Now a communications major at Daystar University, Bushoki is working towards his goal of becoming a professional broadcaster, slowly but steadily making his mark on the local scene. In 2010, he joined 97.1FM in Nairobi where he worked as a presenter and producer for two years. So far, he has worked on several audio-visual projects, most notably a documentary sponsored by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation about the work of catholic sisters in East-Africa.

Kevin Midigo

23 year old Kevin Midigo was born and is living in Kenya’s capital. Midigo is a journalist by profession, having undertaken Media and Communication Studies at Multimedia University College. He mainly covers human interest features in the fields of education, health, nature and business/economics. Midigo is currently a freelance journalist in Nairobi whose beat in nature conservation continues to grow with each passing day.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Loise Njagi 

Loise Njagi is an emerging documentary filmmaker and a wildlife conservation activist based in Nairobi. She is a Communications student at St. Paul’s University, and works as a media and educational outreach communication officer at Wildlife Direct, a prominent Kenyan conservation NGO. Njagi has brought her video skills to her work on Wildlife Direct’s YouTube page as well as in the training of young bloggers like Richard Turere, the “lion light boy” who recently presented at TED,  and other emerging community conservation communicators.  She filmed the recent launch of Wildlife Direct’s “Hands Off Our Elephants” campaign, a large multi-national, inter-agency gathering of several hundred officials and celebrities in Nairobi. 

Maryanne Wangui Njuguna

Maryanne Wangui Njuguna is a student at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa. She is also a film director at Ujamaa Africa NGO for Roughways Films with over 2 years’ experience in cinematography and film producing In addition, she has worked with Chromatic Pictures Africa on several projects.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Victor Oloo 

Victor Oloo is a budding cinematographer and co-Founder of Chromatic Pictures Africa Limited who is studying Broadcast Journalism at United States International University Africa and has also been trained in Cinematography in June of 2012 by One Fine Day Films. Oloo has over three years’ experience in Film and TV production, having started out as a camera assistant for various school projects before graduating to Director of Photography at Ujamaa Africa, an NGO working on empowering women against sexual violence in Kenyan slums. Oloo has also shot four commercials–one for Safaricom’s Online Customer Care Services—as well as four short films, four documentaries and a pilot episode of the TV series “Keeping It Together.”

Karim Kara is Kenyan born and bred, a self-taught filmmaker and photographer with a passion for nature and conservation. In 2009, Kara founded and is the director of Megapixels Productions. Kara has worked in an array of projects and almost every aspect of commercial work and documentary film production, all in the interests of eventually making his own wildlife films. In addition, Kara was the teaching assistant for the Princeton film course held at the Mpala Research Center in summer 2013.

Dr. Auma Obama is the Founder and Director of Sauti Kuu Foundation. Sauti Kuu is Kiswahili for “Powerful Voices” and is trying to give perspective to disadvantaged children and youth by helping them unlock their potential, in particular through Life Skills training and educational opportunities that lead to economic sustainability.

The foundation is based on the principle of ‘Self-Help’ and aims to support and motivate the younger generations to take their fate into their own hands and be the makers of their own destiny.

Dr Obama was born and grew up in Kenya. She studied in Germany where she obtained a Masters degree at the University of Heidelberg, before attending the German Film and Television Academy (DFFB) in Berlin and finally graduating with a Doctorate at the University of Bayreuth.

She then moved to the United Kingdom, where she worked for the local government Children’s Services Department before eventually returning to Kenya, where she worked for almost 5 years for the relief organization CARE International. Among her tasks was the coordination of the program ‘Sport for Social Change’, an initiative that uses sport education to strengthen self-confidence and self-worth of children and youth – especially girls, from disadvantaged backgrounds and leads to positive behavior change.

Currently Dr Obama sits on the board of the Jacobs Foundation, an organisation that funds research and development programs in the field of child and youth development, with special emphasis on early childhood development, employability and socio-economic wellbeing. 

Educational Background: 

University of Bayreuth, Germany.  Ph.D in Philology. (1996). Areas of study include: Intercultural Communications, German Studies, Comparative Studies, and Education.

University of Heidelberg, Germany.  M.A. in Philology. (1987). Areas of study include: Intercultural Communication, German Studies, Linguistics, Sociology and Education.

German Film and Television Academy, Germany, Diploma in Film Production.  (1996). Areas of study include: Film Production, Directing, Camera Operation, Editing & Screenwriting.

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Thursday 19th September

2.45PM LOUIS LEAKEY AUDITORIUM

Dr. Auma Obama

Dr. Auma Obama is the Founder and Director of Sauti Kuu Foundation. Sauti Kuu is Kiswahili for “Powerful Voices” and is trying to give perspective to disadvantaged children and youth by helping them unlock their potential, in particular through Life Skills training and educational opportunities that lead to economic sustainability.

14–18 years

Tamara Britten Writing on Safari

Karibu Kenya Accommodation Guide, the new comprehensive guidebook to Kenya, was launched in February 2013.  Endorsed by the Kenya Tourist Board (KTB), Kenya Tourism Federation (KTF) and Kenya Professional Safari Guide Association (KPSGA), the guidebook has detailed information on over 850 camps, lodges, hotels and resorts of all budgets all over Kenya.  The guidebook is divided into regions, all of which are illustrated by maps and photographs, and is colour-coded and indexed for ease of use.

John Burdett, Director of Africa Exclusive, said:  ‘In all my years in the business, I have never seen an accommodation publication as comprehensive as this.’

The author, Tamara Britten, has a MA in creative writing from the University of East Anglia, UK.  She spent two years travelling around Kenya searching out places to visit and stay, and writing about them.

Andy Hill, Editor of Swara Magazine, said:  ‘What sets Tamara Britten’s splendid book apart is that it has broken away from the well-trodden path of hotel guide to give us an authentic and personally researched tour of just about every place a curious tourist or citizen might wander into.’ See more of Andy Hill’s Review of Karibu Kenya

Aarna Lakhani is a student at Brookhouse International School and the author of ‘Fluffy’s Dinner’.

Born in Nairobi, Kenya, on the 23^rd of August, 2006, Aarna Lakhani has, throughout her life, shown a remarkable interest in creative writing and the Arts. From her early days at the Early Learning Montessori Centre, through to her enthusiastic participation in the Arts and Drama activities at the Brookhouse International School, Aarna has surprised all around her with her passion for creativity.

Aarna wrote the story, ‘Fluffy’s Dinner’ in class one day, during some free time allocated to the class by the teacher. She says that she wanted to write a story that she could share with her younger cousin in the UK, whom she was going to visit over her school break. The class teacher, amazed at the quality of her work, wrote to her parents, and gave them a copy of her story.

The idea of producing a book, based on the story, arose from the pride felt by Aarna’s parents, who wanted to encourage her in her creative initiative. With the help of the Publisher and the Illustrator, and with considerable creative input from Aarna herself, Fluffy’s Dinner was published in March of 2013.

Having always understood the need to help the less fortunate in society, Aarna suggested that a half of all the profits from the sale of the book should be dedicated to a Charitable Organization. From this arose the idea of a Foundation, in memory of Aarna’s grandmother, which is being set up, to facilitate her desire. The Foundation shall have the required number of trustees to manage its affairs, and all decisions on what charitable causes to support will come from Aarna herself.

Chief Nyamweya is an artist, writer and entrepreneur best known for the crime-fiction comics “Roba” (syndicated daily in The Star newspaper) and “Emergency” both of which popularized the “Kenya Noir” style of art characterized by abundant use of black ink and high contrasts.

In 2013, he co-founded the Vfx, animation and music studio known as ‘The Tsunami Studio’ which won the won the Best Film and Content Developer Award for Aitec Africa’s BFMA2013.

In addition to being a self-taught artist, Chief Nyamweya is a trained lawyer and accountant.

See more at: www.kenyanoir.com

Kwame Nyong’o is a visual artist, animator, illustrator, filmmaker and musician. Born in Chicago to a Kenyan father and American mother, he was raised between the two countries, an experience that granted him a unique opportunity to appreciate and understand different peoples and cultures. This exposure, fused with his passion for science fiction and fantasy, have become the force behind his work.

After a stint at George Lucas’s Industrial Light and Magic, Kwame returned to Kenya where he has been involved in various animation training and production initiatives on the continent, such as UNESCO’s Africa Animated! project, and Tiger Aspect’s Tinga Tinga Tales children’s TV series.

His debut short film The Legend of Ngong Hills, marked Kwame’s endeavor to showcase the possibilities and opportunities that lie in using animation to tell African folklore. This well regarded short won the Best Animation category at the 2011 Zanzibar International Film Festival (TZ), 2011 Kalasha Awards (KE) and the 2012 African Movie Academy Awards (NG). He is currently working on an animated TV series that was recently showcased at the 2013 Annecy Animation Festival (FR).

Live-action film work includes set dressing on the feature film Nairobi Half Life and co-directing/producing for Corder’s Lovin’ This Home music video.

Kwame’s repertoire of illustration works include client work for advertising agencies and publishers, as well as his own self-published children’s books: A Tasty Maandazi, and it follow-up sequel I Love Ugali and Sukuma Wiki, which is being launched at the Storymoja Hay Festival 2013.

https://www.kwamenyongo.com

Caroline Mutoko is a leading radio presenter in Kenya.

On the radio, Caroline Mutoko is known for delving deep into the minds and lives of Kenyans, touching difficult subjects. Her tone has always struck a chord with listeners. Over time this has won her impressive ratings and a place in morning radio that is part and parcel of many Kenyan’s daily routine. 

Radio – It’s a way of Life:  Caroline Mutoko has had a radio career that spans 15 years with eleven years at Kiss 100 and 4 years at Capital Fm. The morning show radio host and programme controller is without doubt the first female broadcaster to command the morning airwaves with a mix of love, charity and brutal honestly for the issues that affect Kenyans. 

Kenya@50 – A Woman On A Mission: The job of media is agenda setting. Caroline believes that now more than ever, media must look at where Kenya needs to be, where Kenya needs to go and actively and boldly pursue after the conversations, personalities, issues and topics that allow that reality to unfold.

Passionately Kenyan: Many have said that Caroline came into her own in late 2007 and early 2008 as the country went through its toughest period. Mutoko who was on-air for up to 9 hours at a stretch during that period, says it was then that she found out how deeply and passionately she loved Kenya. As Kenya turns 50, Caroline plans to play her role in ensuring the agenda for the next 50 years is laid out and that the celebration of who we are is felt.

Paying It Forward: She says she plans to dedicate the next 5 years to seeking out, helping, grooming and inspiring The Next 100. The next crop of female leaders. In her words… “This job is not just an amazing platform to influence conversations and decision, provoke debate and change perceptions, it also opens doors to many people, lessons and opportunities for me that are not normally available to others. The only way to truly be valuable is to use what I have and what I have achieved, to enrich someone else’s life”. 

Learning and Living: Because growing means constantly looking out for opportunities to learn – Caroline has recently concluded her Diploma in Women’s Leadership at the HarvardBusinessSchool. She will be embarking on a Global MBA in September 2013 and is signed up to start and complete another degree in Media Studies at IESE from January 2014.

Motherhood: Caroline is also proud, delighted and humbled to be mother to a 2 year old bundle of giggles and amazing speed, who now also tries to wear Mummy’s high heels – a little girl called Theodora Nduku Mutoko. Caroline adopted this lovely little girl in 2011 at 3 months old. “To give this amazing child a place to call home and someone to call Mum is a great honour and the greatest gift I have ever been given. Nduku was sent here for me. To guide me, to heal me, to save me, to teach me.”

Tazim Elkington also known as The Indian Black Butterfly is a Trainer, Writer, Speaker, Poet and Qreator of the ‘Q Factor’

Tazim Elkington is a talented “paradigm shifter” who has been credited with motivating, stimulating and encouraging many groups and individuals in society today with her unconventional strategies to living a more fulfilled and rewarding life.

She’s a natural and trained public speaker and has learnt a variety of methodologies and concepts over the years. These have propelled her to create her very own unique transformational systems that break the limitation and boundaries that restrict individual freedoms. Tazim’s words go straight to the heart and resonate with every human being. She is a ‘figure and personality on the move’

Tazim Elkington is a Kenyan. She did not grow up in your typical family environment of mum, dad, a picket fence and a dog. Tazim grew up outside the expected norms of what a child requires and spent most of her early years traveling from town to town which explains her open and flexible attitude to life. Her personal life experiences have given her a unique set of values which have propelled her towards creating and becoming the successful, unique and revolutionary ‘mind transformation proponent’ that she is.

Tazim has worked in the tourism industry, real estate and marketing industries for numerous years. She has also participated in a variety of causes such as the Westend Calendar Girls and supporting orphaned children. She has a way and a love for people that has bolted her career in many directions and dimensions both here in Kenya and in Canada.

Tazim focus is passionately on children’s and women’s rights, individual and collective responsibility from grassroots to all levels of life.

Tazim has written a collection of prose entitled “Song of the Soul”. Her work is an expression and connection to the inner self. Deep, real, meaningful and enquiring. Extracts of her work have been published weekly in the Standard newspaper under the title ’Just a thought’ by Tazim Elkington.

Tazim began helping people shift paradigms by applying lessons she had learnt from her own life.  She works with organizations to support them in finding their balance and vision. She works with individuals in order to help them understand their power and accept the gifts of life. She works with communities to help them realize their common ground and build a fulfilled and sustainable future for all concerned. She creates customized presentations, concepts and suggestions to suit specific needs. She typically uses a combination of many philosophies in her work resulting in her own unique healing and progressive techniques that can be applied to any situation.

Her determination and commitment are to be the change through her work, as she puts it “one person at a time”. Being deeply patriotic, she gives of her time to numerous groups, charitable organizations and institutions walking towards and creating ‘responsible’change

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