by Joe JACKSON
The Kenyan director behind a new documentary about a gay couple struggling for acceptance in the East African country hopes its film …
by Joe JACKSON The Kenyan director behind a new documentary about a gay couple struggling for acceptance in the East African country hopes its film industry can mirror Hollywood’s progressive role in promoting LGBTQ rights. Peter Murimi, whose documentary “I Am Samuel” screens at the London Film Festival this weekend, is the latest filmmaker to depict a same-sex relationship in sub-Saharan Africa in the face of religious and cultural conservatism. He believes portraying more gay people on the big screen across the continent, alongside moves to decriminalize homosexuality, can make LGBTQ rights a mainstream issue. “The role Hollywood played in furthering LBGTQ rights in the United States was really big, it cannot be understated,” Murimi told AFP on the sidelines of the festival. “You could just see gay people on TV and in Hollywood, and slowly and slowly it became much easier (for them). “They say ‘you win the hearts, and once the hearts are won the law is irrelevant’,” he said, adding “film can play that role”. Murimi,42, a multiple award-winning director known for tackling complex social issues, is unsure if he will get permission from Kenyan authorities to show “I Am Samuel”.
