Private Project

Finding Lulu

After learning about the culture of school shootings in America, Lulu’s Kenyan community bands together to prepare her for life in U.S. schools.

  • Gayatri Kumar
    Director
    Coffined At 15, War Without Guns, Snake Charmers of India
  • Gayatri Kumar
    Writer
    Coffined At 15, One Day Before Being Sold
  • Nelco Lamech
    Writer
  • Nyakio Wambui
    Producer
  • Angel Atieno
    Key Cast
    "Lulu Amin"
    Zora, Club Kiboko
  • Brian Furaha
    Key Cast
    "Masai Man"
    Paa
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Action, Drama
  • Runtime:
    10 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    September 15, 2022
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    Kenya
  • Language:
    English, Swahili
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital, RED
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.39:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Gayatri Kumar

Kumar is an alum of Sarah Lawrence College and specializes in film directing and writing. She goes by the name of Katyayani as well. Her most recent film ‘Coffined At 15’ explores the issue of child brides in a Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. It screened at the Oscar-qualifying Dances With Films festival and bagged a Special Jury Award at the 8th International Film Festival of Shimla. Her first feature screenplay “The Day Before Being Sold,” recently qualified as a quarterfinalist in the Academy Nicholl Screenwriting Fellowship. She was also a semifinalist in ScreenCraft’s Virtual Pitch Competition. Currently, she is developing a series of short films addressing the issue of U.S. school shootings. She is also in the process of developing a mini-series on the crisis in Ukraine.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

I’m a proud American. I believe my country is considered to be number one for a reason. But this American passport quickly begins to lose value if our children’s safety doesn’t rank number one too. In no other country do children go to school thinking, “I might get shot today.” That’s why Lulu going to America requires a force as strong as the Masai to prepare and train her. But it could be the Masai of Kenya, the Aboriginals of Australia, or the Saints of India. The point is that until something is done about gun reform—what does the average person do to feel safe? The police at Uvalde failed. Our government failed.

Real bullets are killing children in schools, and invisible bullets of anxiety and fear are killing kids all across the country. In order to take on a danger such as this, we must level the strength of our children to match the intensity of the threat. Self-defense, mental focus, protective measures at schools that actually work (not just hiding underneath desks)—there should be no debate on the fact that we need to implement such measures immediately. America leads in innovation and technology. If people as raw as the Masai can find ways to prepare children for America, then why can’t we Americans do the same? We’re the home of the brave. Until the government does something to protect us—we’re gonna really need to make use of that bravery.