Kenyan actress Foi Wambui recently spoke out in defense of the Kenyan film industry. She urged viewers to engage constructively rather than dismissively, emphasizing the industry’s early stage of development compared to global counterparts like Hollywood and Nollywood.
And trust me, as filmmakers, we see all the criticism about Kenyan shows, agree with some, and value with the feedback. But listen, you cannot compare an industry that is basically just starting to pick up, to industries like Hollywood, Nollywood, and the SA industry that have been around for ages.
The actress wrote.
Foi Wambui‘s statement emphasized the importance of fair judgments grounded in genuine engagement rather than preconceived notions
“But saying you do not watch Kenyan because we have horrible stories, yet the last Kenyan because we have horrible stories, yet the last Kenyan show you watched was Vitimbi is actually hilarious.”
She stated.
Foi Wambui asks for Constructive Criticism
Foi’s plea extended to a desire for a more balanced conversation surrounding Kenyan cinema. She questioned the loudness of criticism in comparison to the applause for notable achievements.
Also, can the handclaps be as loud as the criticism, if not louder? I hate that when one thing is wrong, that is literally all you focus and highlight. What about the things that were actually amazing? Why aren’t you as loud about that?“
Foi Wambui wrote.
Her message highlighted that, while there are mistakes, filmmakers are weaving magic on screen in the industry’s nascent stages.
Acknowledging the long journey ahead, Foi Wambui urged support as the Kenyan film industry learns to walk. Her analogy of crawling, walking, and eventually running captured the evolution filmmakers aspire to.
We have a long way to go, but if you support us as we crawl to get to where we need to get as an industry, we get even more excited to learn to walk. One day, we will not just be walking, but running, and you will not disappointed that you held us down.”
Foi Wambui defended.
By Vivian K.