The Kenyan Coastal film Mvera has marked a major milestone after premiering on international streaming platform Netflix this week.
A Daudi Anguka-directed film, it is beloved and celebrated locally, having been the top winner at this year’s Kalasha International Film and TV Awards.
“After being trapped by an organ trafficking ring, a woman tries to make it back to her community to warn them of the dangers that are being sold to them as new opportunities,” film website IMDB describes the one hour and 47 minutes film.
The movie stars Linah Sande, Patrick Owino, Hillary Namanje, Kibibi Salim, Susan Kadid and Carolyn Rita Mutua.
Days after its release on Netflix, Mvera ranks at number one on the Top 10 movies in Kenya.
“Mvera film was the biggest winner of the night bagging the Best Feature Film Award and four other categories namely; Best Make-up Artiste by Fatma Muhiddin, Best Lead Actress in Feature Film by Lina Sande, Best Director by Daudi Anguka, and Best Viewer Choice award,” Kenya Film Commission reported on the film’s Kalasha wins.
Mvera was also Kenya’s 2024 submission to the Oscars (Academy Awards). The film represented the country as a presentation for Best International Feature Film at the 96th Academy Awards, which took place in March.
“Mvera was selected from three submissions which also included William Okoth’s Unheard Voices and Wangechi Ngugi’s Shimoni, which world premiered at the Red Sea International Film Festival and also played in Rotterdam,” film website Deadline reported on the submission.
Sinema Focus, a Kenyan film review website praises Linah Sande as having the Best Lead Performance in Kenyan history in its 2023 review of the film.
The film, produced in Kwale County, has been described as groundbreaking and emotional. It tackles heavy themes like corruption, poverty and unemployment.
Mvera has been recognised internationally at the PAPA International Historical Film Festival in Hungary, winning Best Feature Film and Linah clinching the Best Promising Lead Actress award.
It is also set for screening at the Johannesburg Film Festival and nominated at the KZN Festival in South Africa.
“At first, I wanted to do a story about Mekatilili, and you know Mekatilili is a Coastal hero, and generally a Kenyan hero,” Anguka said in an interview last year on how the storyline came about.
He added: “Later on I looked into the budget for doing that story, that was three years back, nikaona sitaweza, let me create a modern Mekatilili. And that is how the concept and character Mvera came about. I had to think about what kind of challenges she would be facing, and the struggles that people at Kenya’s Coast go through."