Private Project

BABA

In the outskirts of Nairobi, a six-year-old boy with the unique ability to teleport, struggles to understand his world and the people around him. Buoyed by childish optimism and extraordinary imagination, he bounces between his harsh reality and the peaceful solitude that his ability affords him, as he learns to protect his innocence.

  • Mbithi Masya
    Director
    Kati Kati (2016)
  • Mbithi Masya
    Writer
    Kati kati (2016)
  • Bramwel Iro
    Producer
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    14 minutes 47 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    June 30, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    57,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Kenya
  • Country of Filming:
    Kenya
  • Language:
    English, Swahili
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital 4k
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Mbithi Masya

Mbithi Masya is a director of films, music videos, and commercials. His first feature film, Kati Kati, produced by award-winning German director Tom Tykwer, has won several global awards including the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) award in the Discovery Programme at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). FIPRESCI described Mbithi’s work as ‘an exciting and unique new voice in cinema’. Since then Kati Kati has screened at over 40 festivals globally and has gone on to win the New Voices/New Visions Award Special Mention at the Palm Springs International Festival, the Filmpris at the 19th CinemAfrica Film Festival in Stockholm, the Emerging Filmmaker Award at the 2017 Minneapolis St Paul International Film Festival, and the Best East African Film award at the 2017 Africa Movie Viewer’s Choice Awards.
Mbithi has also worked across 8 different African countries as an advertising commercials director for different clients such as Airtel, Barclays, and Coca-Cola.
As an artist, he is a member of the celebrated experimental art collective Just a Band, whose collaborations have included distinguished musicians Childish Gambino, Owuor Arunga and many others. Mbithi’s creative talent in music videos has garnered recognition from the New York Times, Fader, Huffington Post and Okay Africa among others.

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Director Statement

My intention is not to tell a heavy-handed story about abuse. Instead, the film I’ve made is about the effects of abuse rather than the violent act of abuse itself. It is about the loss of innocence and humanity that a child goes through every moment someone takes advantage of them and the fight to protect that innocence and humanity.
I know the short can’t address abuse fully, and to force it to do so would be a disservice to the issue. We’re just getting a glimpse into a day in this child’s life and witnessing how he is actively trying to protect himself from his perspective.
I interviewed several people, and those interviews reinforced my belief in the necessity of this story. Unfortunately, it’s a common but unspoken act that happened to many growing up, mostly swept under the rug due to family obligations and with most people still close to their abusers.
I want to tell this story because I intend to help other victims feel seen, which is essential for healing.