Racism is a factor in actors of colour losing out on recognition, pay :Wanuri Kahiu

Kenyan filmmaker Wanuri Kahiu, who won the Spirit of Cinema award at the International Film Festival of Kerala, stated that as victims of colonisation, we should ask more from the previous 'colonial masters'. During a session at the festival, she opined that racism is a major factor in actors losing out on the recognition and wages they deserve. “People who fund the film count who are buying tickets to watch whom, and whose work is often watched on OTT. It is also the responsibility of the audiences to bring visibility to actors of all colours,”she says.
'RRR addressed some of our trauma, but it also had a dubious romance'
Whenever there is deep trauma,we are silenced and we feel paralysed to speak up. This is the generation that should be calling out those atrocities and how we can not only repair our own past but also ask for more from some of the relationships we continue to have with our previous colonisers masters. We are telling some of our stories through these films. I was going to say RRR, but it only had some of this and there was a dubious romance in between; I personally was not convinced by the white woman in the middle of it. This is solely my opinion, but I love the filmmaker.

On the importance of cinema now
Every cinematic voice is important and we are all part of a global community. For a director, the most important thing is to complete a film. It doesn’t have to be perfect. We are already making a difference when we add it to the voice of cinema. We are already saying that people of different races, colours and genders are contributing to it and that there is no singular global voice for cinema. It’s all of us singing in harmony. We should also create spaces rather than wait for others to invite us to their own tables. We need to let them (world) come to us and ask for our stories, voices...
About IFFK
Before I came to Kerala, many people told me that I will come across an exceptional audience here. I was truly surprised to see the love shown to cinema here and the crowd that turned up for the opening film, Goodbye Julia. It was truly a delightful sight.