RAFIKI

Wednesday, April 15, 6:00 p.m. & Sunday, April 19, 12:00 p.m. | Kena and Ziki, daughters of rival politicians in Nairobi, fall in love despite Kenya's criminalization of homosexuality and their families' electoral competition. Their vibrant romance—captured in saturated Afrobubblegum aesthetics of purple braids, neon lights, and pulsing music—unfolds against homophobic violence and religious condemnation. When their relationship is discovered, community rejection forces impossible choices between authentic love and family acceptance. Kahiu's landmark film, initially banned in Kenya, celebrates queer African joy while depicting real persecution. The film resists tragedy narratives often imposed on LGBTQ+ African stories, instead portraying first love's tenderness alongside societal oppression. Through handheld intimacy and dreamlike color palettes, RAFIKI asserts that queer love exists—and persists—across contemporary Africa despite legal and social prohibition.

African Cinema: From Independence to Now Lecture Series | January 28–May 17, 2026

This film series explores 65 years of African cinema, from anti-colonial resistance to digital reinvention. Through 14 films from across the continent, African filmmakers reimagine the medium as a tool for decolonization, self-representation, and artistic innovation, connecting the political with the poetic. Presented in collaboration with the School of the Art Institute of Chicago’s Art History, Theory, and Criticism department. Lecturer: Delinda Collier, Professor of Art History. Synopses by Delinda Collier. Select titles offered with encores; encores do not include lecture.

The Film Center is ADA accessible. This presentation will be projected without open captions. The theater is hearing-loop equipped. For accessibility requests, please email filmcenter@saic.edu