From a Whisper

Last updated

From a Whisper
Directed by Wanuri Kahiu
Written by Wanuri Kahiu
Screenplay byWanuri Kahiu [1]
Produced byKuxi Ghai
Starring
CinematographyMarius van Graan
Edited byChris King
Music by Eric Wainaina
Release date
  • 12 September 2008 (2008-09-12)(Kenya)
[2]
Running time
79 minutes
CountryKenya
LanguageEnglish

From a Whisper is a Kenyan drama film written and directed by Africa Movie Academy Award winner Wanuri Kahiu. The film received 12 nominations and won 5 awards at the Africa Movie Academy Awards in 2009, including Best Picture, Best Original Soundtrack, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and AMAA Achievement in Editing. [3] The film also won the Best Feature Narrative award at the 2010 Pan African Film & Arts Festival, [4] and was honored with the 2010 BAFTA/LA Festival Choice Prize. [5] Although the film commemorates the 10th anniversary of the 7 August terrorist bombing in Kenya in 1998, it is not about the terrorist bombing. The movie portrays a realistic story of the aftermath of the bombing, by capturing the lives of the victims and their families who had to pick up the pieces of their lives shredded by the blast. [6] [7]

Contents

Synopsis

From a Whisper is based on the real events surrounding the 7 August bomb attacks on the US Embassy in Nairobi in 1998. Abu is an intelligence officer who keeps to himself. When he meets Tamani, a young, rebellious artist in search of her mother, he decides to help. The discovery of her death churns up memories of Fareed, Abu's best friend who also lost his life in the attack. The discovery forces them to learn how to forgive, to believe in themselves, and confront what they fear the most – the truth. [1]

Cast

Awards

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cinema of Africa</span> History and present of cinema in Africa

Cinema of Africa covers both the history and present of the making or screening of films on the African continent, and also refers to the persons involved in this form of audiovisual culture. It dates back to the early 20th century, when film reels were the primary cinematic technology in use. During the colonial era, African life was shown only by the work of white, colonial, Western filmmakers, who depicted Africans in a negative fashion, as exotic "others". As there are more than 50 countries with audiovisual traditions, there is no one single 'African cinema'. Both historically and culturally, there are major regional differences between North African and sub-Saharan cinemas, and between the cinemas of different countries.

<i>Paradise Now</i> 2005 film

Paradise Now is a 2005 psychological drama film directed by Hany Abu-Assad about two Palestinian men preparing for a suicide attack in Israel. It won the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film and was nominated for an Academy Award in the same category.

Eric Wainaina is a Kenyan singer-songwriter. His career was launched with his debut album, Sawa Sawa, in 2001. Wainaina's music is a blend of Kenyan benga rhythm and East African guitars, with some modern harmony.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Van Vicker</span> Ghanaian actor

Joseph van Vicker, better known as Van Vicker, is a Ghanaian actor, movie director and humanitarian. He is the chief executive officer of Sky + Orange production, a film production house. Van Vicker received two nominations for "Best Actor in a Leading Role" and "Best Upcoming Actor" at the Africa Movie Academy Awards in 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ama K. Abebrese</span> British-Ghanaian actress and producer

Ama K. Abebrese is a British-Ghanaian actress, television presenter and a producer. She was born in Ghana and raised in West London in the United Kingdom. She won the 2011 Best Actress in a Leading Role at the AMAA Awards for her stellar performance in Sinking Sands. Her film credits includes Azali (film) which is Ghana first ever selection for the Oscars; and the 2015 Netflix movie Beasts of No Nation directed by Cary Fukunaga and stars Idris Elba. She plays the mother to lead young actor Abraham Attah who plays Agu. Abebrese is listed among Africa's Top 20 Actors and Actresses by FilmContacts.com. She is the narrator and a producer on the Blitz Bazawule film The Burial of Kojo which was acquired by Array and was released on Netflix.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephanie Okereke Linus</span> Nigerian actress

Stephanie Okereke Linus is a Nigerian actress, film director and model. She has received several awards and nominations for her work as an actress, including the 2003 Reel Award for Best Actress, the 2006 Afro Hollywood Award for Best Actress, and three nominations for Best Actress in a Leading Role at the Africa Movie Academy Awards in 2005, 2009 and 2010. She was also the runner up for the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria beauty pageant of 2002. In 2011, she was honoured by the Nigerian government with a national honour of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic, MFR.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Africa Movie Academy Awards</span> African film industry award ceremony

The Africa Movie Academy Awards, popularly known as AMAA and The AMA Awards, is presented annually to recognize excellence among professionals working in, or non-African professionals who have contributed to, the African film industry. It was founded by Peace Anyiam-Osigwe and is run through the Africa Film Academy. The awards are aimed at honouring and promoting excellence in the African movie industry as well as uniting the African continent through arts and culture. The award presentation is attended by numerous media representatives, celebrities, politicians, journalists, actresses and actors from all across the world. The AMA Awards is widely considered to be Africa's most important film event and the most prestigious film award in Africa. A variety of international observers have fondly called the African Movie Academy Awards the "African Oscars".

The 5th Africa Movie Academy Awards ceremony was held on April 4, 2009, at the Gloryland Cultural Center in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Nigeria, to honor the best African films of 2008. It was broadcast live on Nigerian national television. Africa Movie Academy Award winner Kate Henshaw-Nuttal and Nigerian stand-up comedian Julius Agwu hosted the ceremony. Numerous celebrities graced the event, including Timipre Sylva and Nollywood actresses and actors. Special guests were Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker and Hollywood actor Danny Glover.

The 6th Africa Movie Academy Awards ceremony was held on 10 April 2010 at the Gloryland Cultural Center in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Nigeria, to honor the best African films of 2009. The nominees were announced on 6 March 2010 at the Mensvic Grand Hotel in Accra, Ghana at an event that was attended by delegates from Nigeria, top government officials from Ghana and African celebrities. Hollywood stars, Glynn Turman and CCH Pounder were the special guests from Hollywood. Approximately 280 films from 32 African countries were nominated for the awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wanuri Kahiu</span> Kenyan filmmaker

Wanuri Kahiu is a Kenyan film director, producer, and author. She is considered to be “one of Africa's most aspiring directors, being part of a new, vibrant crop of talents representing contemporary African culture”. She has received several awards and nominations for the films which she directed, including the awards for Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Picture at the Africa Movie Academy Awards in 2009 for her dramatic feature film From a Whisper. She is also the co-founder of AFROBUBBLEGUM, a media collective dedicated to supporting African art for its own sake.

<i>Jenifa</i> 2008 Nigerian comedy-drama film

Jenifa is a 2008 Nigerian comedy-drama film starring Funke Akindele. The film received four nominations at the 2009 Africa Movie Academy Awards which includes Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Best Original Soundtrack and Best Nigerian Film. Akindele won Best Actress in a Leading Role at the Africa Movie Academy Awards for her role in this film.

<i>Soul Boy</i> 2010 Kenyan film

Soul Boy is a 2010 Kenyan drama film, written by Billy Kahora and directed by Hawa Essuman. It developed under the mentorship of German director and producer Tom Tykwer in Kibera, one of the largest slums in the African continent, in the middle of Nairobi, Kenya. The film has received five nominations at the 2011 Africa Movie Academy Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">7th Africa Movie Academy Awards</span> Award in Africa

The 7th Africa Movie Academy Awards ceremony was held on 27 March 2011 at the Gloryland Cultural Center in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Nigeria, to honor the best African films of 2010. The nomination ceremony was held at the Ole Sereni Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya on 25 February 2011. For the films released in 2010, Africa Movie Academy Awards were presented in 26 categories.

Michelle Bello is a British Nigerian film director and film producer. She is also CEO of a Nigerian-based entertainment and publishing company, Blu Star Entertainment Limited. Bello was born in London, England.

<i>The Cursed Ones</i> 2015 film by Nana Obiri Yeboah

The Cursed Ones is a 2015 British film that was directed by Nana Obiri Yeboah and produced by Nicholas K. Lory. The original screenplay was written by Maximilian Claussen. The film tells the story of a disillusioned reporter and an idealistic young pastor, who fight to free a girl accused of witchcraft from the clutches of a corrupt system and superstition in the heart of West Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dorothy A. Atabong</span> Canadian actor

Dorothy A. Atabong is a Canadian actress, writer and producer. She is best known for Sound of Tears for which she’s won various awards including an Africa Movie Academy Award in 2015.

Corine Onyango is a Kenyan actress and radio presenter.

Julius Amedume, is a Ghanaian-British director, writer and producer. He is best known for directing the award-winning feature films A Goat's Tail and Rattlensnakes.

The 2021 African Movie Academy Award ceremony was held on Sunday 28 November 2021 at the Marriott Hotel in Lagos Nigeria.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "African Film Festival of Cordoba-FCAT (license CC BY-SA)". Archived from the original on 8 July 2012. Retrieved 8 March 2012.
  2. "Release Date, From a Whisper" . Retrieved 21 October 2009.
  3. "AMAA 2009: List of Winners and Nominees". Africa Movie Academy Awards. Archived from the original on 5 April 2011. Retrieved 17 October 2010.
  4. "Filmmaker Awards". Los Angeles, USA: Pan African Film Festival. Archived from the original on 22 July 2010. Retrieved 15 July 2010.
  5. "BAFTA/LA partners with Pan African Film and Arts Festival". Los Angeles, USA: British Academy of Film and Television Arts . Retrieved 15 July 2010.
  6. "Official Website" . Retrieved 21 October 2009.
  7. "From a Whisper: Brief Review". Archived from the original on 9 September 2009. Retrieved 21 October 2009.