There has been a certain pessimism about passion projects in film circles, a harsh critique of endeavors driven by the urgency to achieve a specific goal once the credits roll.
Presenting our stories to the world through our languages defines the essence of Shiku, as put out before the film began.
“Shiku” centers on the titular character, who is caught in a marriage arrangement imposed by her father and her fiancé, the wealthy Kimani. However, she is in love with Elly, a cinematographer. Both Shiku and Elly are determined to protect their relationship, which serves as the core conflict of the film.
I must admit that I have also succumbed to the same mission statement mentioned earlier. While it is not something to avoid at all costs, it becomes a problem when it overshadows the story’s trajectory and undermines character arcs. The allegory of a passion project aims to immerse us in a specific mindset, as the film’s goal leans closer to that.
Shiku felt as if narratives from different soap operas were woven together and layered with the Kikuyu language to create a story. Aside from her relationship with Elly, the only other thing we know about Shiku is that she is a filmmaker. However, this information doesn’t provide much insight into her as an individual; it merely serves as a plot device. Shiku even confesses that she may have inadvertently written the exact story of her and Elly in a film they collaborated on together. One aspect that made me pause was the issue of tribalism, particularly highlighted by a line from Shiku’s dad directed at Elly, who is a Luo. Given the sensitivity of this subject, I found it puzzling that the remark was included without any context regarding the origins of his comments.
A valuable lesson I’ve learned is that no matter what perspective one intends to project on a screen, the story itself is what truly matters—the heart of it is essential.
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