Private Project

Baba Yao

This documentary tells the story of Austin, a football coach from Mathare, one of Nairobi’s largest slums in kenya. Twenty years ago, he began cleaning a local dumpsite, slowly transforming it into a safe playing field for children. Despite nightly trash being dumped there, Austin's persistence paid off, inch by inch, creating a space for youth to thrive.

Mathare is heavily affected by Chang'aa, a toxic illegal brew that has a high mortality rate. Despite these challenges, Austin became a well-known coach, developing top female football players and advocating for gender equality. He also extended his work to include children, the disabled, alcoholics, and the homeless in his community.

Austin co-founded Valley View Academy and Destiny Junior Education Centre, educating over 1,000 students. Now part of Football Más Kenya, he continues to improve the lives of local children and young people, promoting resilience and social awareness.

Austin’s impact has been life-changing for many, earning him the title “Baba Yao,” which means “The Father of All".

  • Sebastian Gil Miranda
    Director
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    34 minutes
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Sebastian Gil Miranda

Argentine visual artist, photographer, and filmmaker, he has traveled to over 50 countries with his work. With a degree in Psychology and training in architecture, literature, and the arts, his career is marked by a deep interdisciplinary approach. His work has been exhibited in cultural venues and festivals worldwide across the Americas, Africa, Europe, and Asia.
His photography and films have been featured in prominent international outlets such as BBC, The Guardian, CNN, The New York Times, National Geographic, Washington Post, The Atlantic, Vice, Geo, Bild, and Le Monde. He has received significant recognition in top global competitions, including the Sony World Photography Award, POY Latam, Photoville New York, the Humanity Photo Award, FotoEvidence with World Press Photo, the Festival of Ethical Photography, and the Luis Valtueña Award from Médicos de Mundo, among others.

As a director and producer, he has worked on impactful documentaries, such as Baba Yao (Kenya, 2018), which premiered at the 11mm Berlin Film Festival, Shots for Peace (Kenya, 2018), premiered on the French platform Spicee, and Na ponta dos Pés (Brazil, 2016), awarded at IberCultura, organized by UNESCO. He also contributed as associate producer and cameraman for Ballet & Bullet (Brazil, 2018), produced by Vice with Pulitzer Center support, and Impact (Brazil, 2021), produced by actress Gal Gadot for National Geographic, where his photographic work inspired Chapter 6. Additionally, he co-directed photography and served as the still photographer for the Russian-Argentine film La Nevada (Russia, 2018).

He collaborates regularly with humanitarian organizations like UNICEF, SOS Children’s Villages, IOM, and Food Bank. He is the founder of Photographers for Change and the collective project Covid Latam, and is also a member of the Doc Society's Global Climate Storyteller Network. His TED Talk, “Photography as a Social Weapon,” was recognized as one of the best of the year by TED in Spanish in 2018.

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