Mbithi Masya is a Kenya born filmmaker and musician. He is a member of Just A Band, the acclaimed experimental art collective. His first feature film “KatiKati” premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and won the International Federation of Film Critics award. UP Nairobi managed to catch up with the busy body at the Digital Art Festival, which he was curator of to discuss his new film.
When and why did you decide to venture into film?
My decision to venture into film is actually not that old, perhaps five years or so ago. The thing is I’ve always been a fan of cinema, but I never thought I could actually make them. When I started working with Just a Band, and I started making stuff then I realized ‘hey’, I can actually create. But it took a while before I thought I could make a feature. I was working on art projects, video art, music videos, short films, then it felt like a natural progression to get into features.
What is KatiKati about
KatiKati is a story about a young woman called Kaleche who wakes up in the middle nowhere with no memories, no recollection of anything about herself, no information, no nothing. She finds herself in the middle of nowhere, the only thing around her is this one wilderness lodge she goes in and finds a rag-tag group of people who live there and they all tell her she’s dead. And that’s where the film kind of begins.
What was the inspiration behind your film?
Inspiration…hmmmm….well…Film Africa have a project where they get professional filmmakers from Europe and the States to come and give master classes to Kenyan filmmakers. And they’ve had a few film projects including “Nairobi Half Life”. A producer got in touch with me and asked me to work on a project. And at the time she got in touch with me, I was mourning the loss of a close friend. I took the project without knowing where to go with the story, my mind state at that point in time kind of definitely played a big role in shaping the story.
What’s the best memory you have while making the film?
Because it was my first feature picture, every experience has been a worthwhile memory. My highlight is just of working with other people. Getting to know each other, we became like a family. From my writing partner, who I started the journey with, to the cast and crew; we camped out in the bush for three weeks shooting on location, to my editor who sat with me everyday for eight months-I bugged the living daylights out of her. Everyone I’ve had to work with to make this film make one big collective highlight I have.
How long did it take to make the film?
Two years to the week I got the phone call to work on the project.
Is there a worst Memory?
The first time I sat down and watched the edit. The first rough cut was the worst thing I’ve ever seen in my life. Well I like to think of it like this: shooting is like collecting clay to make a statue. The editing table is the clay table that spins around and all you are doing is throwing mud at it. And at first it’s this ugly mound of nonsense of a you have piled up, but then you have to shape it. So before you have the chance to shape it when you are just looking at the mud it can be quite exhausting.
Who did you make this film for—your primary audience?
Myself. It’s how I’ve always approach any work I’ve done, even with Just A Band. I feel like I have to be able to resonate with whatever I’m creating. And if I can resonate with it, then there surely has to be some other person out there who can also resonate with what I have to say. Even if it is just one. Making something for an audience is very commercial, not that it’s a bad thing, some people are great at creating something that will resonate with a specific group of people. But if I did that, that’s when I would fail in my work. I don’t have the competency to make something particularly for someone and have it be good.
What impact do you hope the film will have on people?
I have no idea..I try to avoid expectations, that’s how you get let down. I just hope many people see it.
How did it feel to premiere your movie at the TIFF and win an award?
Well..first getting into the festival, then winning an award at the festival-all of that was a surprise to everyone involved. This film came together pretty quickly and it was more like an experiment. I’d even say it’s the most strangest project I’ve done. So we never really knew what to expect. Winning has been very validating for everyone who has worked on this project. Some people on the team have been in the industry for ages and haven’t gotten any recognition. The timing with winning the award at TIFF couldn’t have come at a better time. It’s been much needed reassurance to many of us, myself included.
You expect your first film to do this well?
No. Nope. Haha. No!
You have experienced success with JAB, and now your film, what are some of the secrets or formulas to success you can share with fellow artists trying to make it in the industry?
My only secret formula as you call it, is keep making, keep working, keep pushing yourself. You don’t know enough yet and the only way you (know more) is by is by reading, and then doing.
When will KatiKati hit screens at home?
Tentatively, December. But no firm date.
What can we expect next out of you?
More films.
By: Cecilia Garama
