When we were kids my dad started ‘checking’ each one of us for artistic talent,” says Ng’endo Mukii. “He’d put a pencil in your hand and a flower or banana in front of you… in the end, I was the only one who still wanted to draw flowers and bananas.” It paid off; the young filmmaker is a graduate of the UK’s Royal College of Arts and recently won Best Animated Film at the Kenya International film festival for her thesis film ‘Yellow Fever.’ “‘Yellow Fever’ is inspired by the concept of race, both scientifically and culturally,” explains Ng’endo. It delves into the touchy issue of skin bleaching and the hazards it can bring.

Through a young and naïve female narrator, the film allows viewers to learn about the damaging practice of skin bleaching; a practice that seems motivated by cultural issues, personal insecurities and issues of low self-esteem. Ngendo says, “[These women struggle] between seeing, being seen and seeing what other people see in you.” A salon attendant in the first scene of the film has bleached her skin; her face in the mirror is almost Caucasian and yet her hands are traitorously dark.

In the live action dance sequences that intersperse the otherwise animated film, the camera lingers almost sensually over the chocolate skinned contours of three dancers’ bodies as they writhe and glide under a flattering spotlight, beautiful and unashamed. Fresh from campus and buoyed by the strong impression her film has made locally, Ng’endo is careful not to bask in the success of ‘Yellow Fever’ just yet. “I only entered it in KIFF so that people at home could see it. I wasn’t expecting a win.”

When asked about her plans for her career now that she’s based permanently in the country, she’s cautious about betraying too much enthusiasm. “I’m interested in doing more animated and live action films, in fact I’ve got a couple of scripts I’m working on.” If the subtlety and style with which she navigates the issues of ‘Yellow Fever’ are anything to go by, Ng’endo Mukii is definitely part of the new generation of Kenyan filmmakers to watch right alongside Wanuri Kahiu and Tosh Gitonga. Quite a far-reaching impact for a bunch of flowers and a couple of bananas, isn’t it?