feature · drama, romance · new-voices
The first Kenyan film selected for Cannes, screened in Un Certain Regard, Wanuri Kahiu's love story between two young women in Nairobi was banned by the Kenya Film Classification Board in April 2018, and a Court of Appeal ruling in January 2026 found the outright ban problematic while requiring Kahiu to exhaust the statutory appeal mechanism.
Fun fact: Rafiki means friend in Swahili, and Kenya's High Court briefly lifted the ban for seven days in September 2018 so the film could qualify for Oscar consideration.
Notes: Multi-country co-production; core countries per IMDb and festival listings are Kenya, South Africa, Germany, Netherlands, France, Lebanon, and Norway. Correction: the January 2026 Court of Appeal ruling did not simply overturn or lift the ban. The court found the outright ban problematic and suggested adult classification could apply instead, but required Kahiu to exhaust the statutory appeal mechanism rather than granting immediate relief; it also declined her damages claim.
Verification: verified · Sources:
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Poster source: IMDb