Why the hype?

Unlike typical teen dramas filled with love triangles and high-stakes drama, Forever presents a grounded portrayal of two teenagers navigating love and personal growth. Keisha, transfers to St. Maria High School following a personal scandal, while Justin grapples with choosing between his passions for basketball and music.

Why it matters?
The series delves into family dynamics, showcasing contrasting parenting styles: Shelly Clark is a single mother striving to provide stability for Keisha, whereas Eric Edwards encourages Justin to embrace responsibility. Additionally, Justin’s mother, Dawn, exhibits a protective nature, fearing emotional harm for her son.

Identity and ambition are central themes, with Justin torn between his athletic aspirations and musical talents, and Keisha determined to attend Howard University. Their relationship faces challenges, particularly in communication, often leading to avoidance rather than resolution.

The big picture.

The show focused on what the challenges young couples face while they try to love each other. Keisha, a determined track star aiming for a scholarship to Howard University, navigates the pressures of academic excellence and familial expectations.

Her bond with her best friend, Chloe, provides a source of support and levity, highlighting the importance of female friendship during adolescence.

Justin, balancing his passion for music with basketball commitments, grapples with ADHD and the weight of parental aspirations. His friendship with Darius serves as a grounding force, offering candid advice and unwavering loyalty. The warmth of Justin’s family, particularly their welcoming embrace of Keisha, underscores the significance of familial support in young relationships. However, their journey isn’t without challenges; a leaked intimate video from Keisha’s past tests their trust and resilience, reflecting the real-world implications of digital exposure.

What are they saying?
Well Netflix has said they are planning for a season two, if you ask me , it will just complicate issues between them. At the end we see they have to go separate ways because Justin was too emotionally invested and attached to Keisha which affected his decision making. They had to go separate ways in order for him to know what he wants and go for it.

But let’s see what Netflix is cooking for us .

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Prior to the festival selection, Rushlake Media acquired the film for international sales and will represent it globally.

Rushlake Media is a multi-platform network with offices in Cologne, Germany and Nairobi, Kenya, and a strong presence in the African market.

The film tells a story of a wheelchair-bound boy who is taken on an adventure by the cheeky girl next door, Kiki. Together, they try to see as many wild animals in real life as possible, and above all elephant Jumbo.

They come across evil poachers who make money hunting animals. The tale of Safari and his friend Kiki’s adventure touches on many elements of life in rural Kenya today. This is from living with disabilities to poaching yet still manages to convey the playfulness of traditional children’s adventure stories.

Safari is the company’s latest film aimed at young audiences, following the global success of Supa Modo and Liyana.

Director Bill Afwani is a film graduate from Kenyatta University. He started his career directing the award winning short film Sticking Ribbons for which he won Best East African Talent at the 2014 Zanzibar International film festival. Safari is his feature length film directorial debut.

Ruguru Phoebe, the film’s Producer, has twice been nominated as Young Achiever of the Year by African Women in Europe, and recognized winner of the same title by Women for Africa, 2016. Her first short film Saidia (2014), won Best Young Filmmaker at the Modern Day Slavery Competition in London.

Ruguru is the only Kenyan filmmaker to win best Film in Africa, at the AMVCA. Currently Ruguru works for Africa’s biggest broadcaster DSTV as a content executive.

The film’s writer and director, Njue Kevin has directed several award winning short films, before making his feature film debut, 18 Hours. The film was nominated at the Africa Movie Academy Awards for Best First Feature Film by a Director.

Njue was also featured on the Top 40 under 40 list by Business Daily Africa and most notably the FORBES 30 under 30 (Creatives in Africa) 2019.

The film was partially funded by the Kenya Film Commission (KFC), a state corporation under the Ministry of ICT, Innovation and Youth Affairs.

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Showmax. If you are a lover of Kenyan films, then you are about to experience the thrill that Showmax is bringing your way.

Not long ago Showmax announced that they were gearing up for new Kenyan originals this year.

On May 23, 2022, Igiza, one of the originals, will be premiering. In Igiza, you will experience a high-stakes drama, and the thrill revenge story of twin sisters Nicole and Linda.

The Kenyan original is set against the silhouette of the revolving Nairobi Fashion scene and money laundering business.

Nicole breaks out of Prison after serving a 12 years jail term. After serving, she comes out and wants to take the place of her twin sister, Linda, who was the reason why she was imprisoned. Nicole wants to take back what her sister took from her. But there is a setback; Linda’s life that looks all glamorous has secrets that may destroy her.

The 30-second teaser reveals that something big is about to go down as we’re introduced to the two sides of Serah Ndanu in the dual role of the twin sisters – the inmate Nicole and Linda, a top fashion designer who runs a successful fashion house. Both their lives are about to change when Nicole sets her revenge plan into motion. In Igiza, we meet Kenya’s veteran actor Ainea Ojiambo of Kina who plays Musa, a prison warden who is bedeviled with Nicole and Sheila Ndanu of Maria who plays Salome, a top dog serving a life sentence who’s also Nicole’s ally in prison.

Other actors starring in the 13-part series are Kevin Samuel (Mali), Blessing Lung’aho (Zora), Emmanuel Mugo (Pillow Talk),Keith Chuaga (Famous), Torome Sision (Monica), and Eddie Mbugua (You Again). Igiza is helmed by Abdi Shuria (known for his works as a cinematographer for 2021’s hit Nafsi and upcoming feature Ayaanle), King Muriuki (The XYZ Show) and Abu Melita under their company Yare Productions.

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The economy is not that good. And the fact that this year’s Valentine’s day is falling on a week day makes it even worse. We however still have to make it count for our lovers. That small gift can go a long way.

It’s not necessary to buy him an expensive gift. Just buy him something that will make him feel appreciated. You could be wondering what are these affordable yet exquisite gifts that I can buy for my man?

Here is a list of some of the gifts that you may get him. They are gifts that are cheap, for a budget of below Ksh 1000.

Smart temperature sensing ring
Men love rings. This particular ring not oy decorates the finger buf also measures the temperature. It comes in different sizes and colour. It has the new technology of smart sensing and still maintains its fashion style.

Wallet
There is a quote that goes something like, “a complete man must have a wallet, watch and a belt.” Of course, if you want a complete man, why don’t you get him a wallet where he can put his money and cards. It feels great seeing your man fish out a wallet to pay for a bill – it’s a total turn on.

Shoes
Every man is a fan of shoes. These particular lightweight shoes can go with any outfit, be it jeans, cargo pants or even casual official wear. They are multi-purpose yet classy. Being that they are also breathable sneakers, he may still use the shoes on his morning run, or at the gym.

Slim jacket
You could have opted for a jacket. But a slim jacket ultimately sounds like a better idea. Why? Because it can be worn in any weather – cold or hot season. Slim jackets makes a man look fancy, neat and dapper. The jacket may also be worn with any outfit – be it casual or official.

Watch
Like we earlier said, a complete man must have a watch too. Buying him a watch for Valentine’s will be a very good gesture to him.

Laptop backpack
This could be unexpected. Out of all the gifts a lady has ever bought a man, I doubt if a laptop bag was part of it. This means that you not only care about him but also his belongings. Buy him that laptop backpack and wait for his reaction.

3Pcs men casual laptop backpack
We are still on the backpacks. Only that this time this one comes in threes. You buy one backpack and you get other two small ones inside thr backpack. Ladies’ handbags are common for this (having other pcs in one big bag) and now, men can also enjoy this heaveness of having ‘children’ of a bigger bag. Surprise him, will you?

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I am writing this, not as a film critic, but an ordinary Kenyan bored by his existence and decided to watch a Kenya movie. Immediately after it occurred to me that Uradi was on Netflix, I quickly checked it out. And when the first person I saw on the first scenes was Shix Kapyenga, I knew this film was great.

I first watched Shix Kapyenga on Nairobi Half Life. She was then playing Amina, a prostitute. If you have watched it, you know she nailed it. But before I go far, I would love to note that Shix was not given much material in this film. Maybe that was how it had to play out.

Now, let us talk Uradi. In Swahili, mradi is a project, venture or layout. The film title, Uradi, makes sense if you use the Swahili definitions. Now, stick with me so that I can tell you how ‘project,’ ‘venture’ and ‘layout’ played in this incredible Kenyan film.

The film starts off with Komu (Played by Mwaura Bilal) having a playful conversation with his girlfriend, Shix Kapyenga. News of his university admission arrive and it is time he goes to Nairobi to pursue architectural engineering. Unknown to him is how his architectural skills will be used in terrorism. Again, unknown to him is the fact that he will one day be involved in criminal activities.

When life gets tough in campus Komu turn to petty crime. This drags him deeper into radicalization and terrorism and getting out becomes even harder. While he lives a lavish lifestyle, his skills are in use to plan terrorism attacks in the country. How did he reach there?
Criminal masterminds have “mikono mirefu kushinda ata za government,” meaning that they are well connected with those in power. They thus use that power to carry out terrorism attacks. But who does the dirty work? The broke youth like Komu who cannot even pay a restaurant bill for a girl they take out for dinner. People like Komu who have skills that can help execute a terrors attack. And Komu was a good candidate because he was sharp, knew how to interpret the structure of buildings quickly and could interpret coordinates.

While people like award winning actor Rober Agengo (you will have to watch the move to get his name in the movie) think that Komu’s skills can help save the lives of his wife and kids in Kayole (there was an attack in plan), Kenyan prolific actor Peter Kawa (who played Lieutenant in Uradi) felt he was useless and wondered why their boss choose him. Perhaps this is why Peter Kawa stood out f or me. He was ruthless and a piece of shit. He got into my nerves. Komu was excellent. He played his parts well. He did not disappoint with his emotions, something I feel most Kenyan actors need to master.

While the film story was great, it was also an ordinary crime film. Uradi is not that much different from 4o sticks (which both Mwaura Bilal and Robert Agengo feature), Nairobi Half Life, and Nairobbery. It feels like crime and action does better genre-wise.

I honestly loved the film. However, I will not sleep well if I do not say I noted some loopholes. For instance, there is still that stereotypical perception that a Muslim/someone who looks like one, is a terrorist. I saw Muslim girls operating computers (they must have been be good with cyber intelligence) and the terrorist kingpin being a Somali. I honestly thing media messages needs to be shaped better. Yes, anyone can be a terrorist. In fact, Jemo (played by Switch TV Show presenter Manasseh Nyaga) says that the real terrorists are greedy politicians who embezzle money set aside for development projects. But the fact that the film still profiles a certain group of people is something future film makers should look into.

Another important aspect that I need to mention is the good work the police do and goes unrecognized. A man from the National intelligence service has been following Komu. He sold eggs and smokies at his camps, followed him when he was using his architectural skills to study buildings for in preparation for a terrorist attacks and interceded before he went to deliver a package that would have killed so many people at Kayole and maybe the Danish embassy. The intelligence team helped stop the attack and even captured the criminal masterminds. I believe we do not appreciate such efforts as we should. And Uradi highlighted this aspect perfectly.

Apart from Shiks Kapyenga, more women need to take active roles in the Kenyan film. I watched the premier of Jennifer Gatero’s film, Nairobbery, and I noticed a balance was almost achieved. In a world that is struggling to fight for equity and equality, Kang’ethe Mungai, the writer and director of Uradi, and many others should check on that.

Again, I am not a film critic, but I believe as a media student, I have learned two or three things about film and so I think this review or whatever is, is worth your time. I’d love to mention that you can watch these Kenyan films on Netflix; Poacher, 40 Sticks. Disconnect, Sincerely Daisy and Uradi.

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In South Korea, a bunch of people with massive debts and in the throes of financial ruin find themselves invited to a mysterious game that promises them a big payday if they stand victorious. Seong Gi-hun is one of these people. Having lost his job, his marriage and the custody of his daughter, Gi-hun lives with his ageing mother and spends his days gambling.

Gi-hun accepts the game invitation and is taken unconscious to a mysterious location, where he wakes up in a dormitory with 455 other players who are only identified by numbers on their clothes. Men in pink jumpsuits and black masks with shapes on them are the staff that manage the players.

Squid Game has come as a surprise to many, one that will glue your eyes to the screen for nine episodes straight! The originality of the idea, the visual effects and of course, the acting are outstanding and incomparable to anything we have ever seen on television in our lives!

Here 10 lessons from Squid Game

1. Sweet is victory
In the very first scene in the first episode of this movie, children are seen playing a fun game. One thing I noticed here is that the victory of the kid on the “offense group” though not materially paid, overwhelmed the kid. In his words he said “at that moment I felt on top of the world”. This too happens in the football games young children play domestically; although for fun, the feeling of victory can not be under told. From this I learnt “Victory is always Victory no matter the circumstance and the prize won; it should be satiable”.

2. Consistency
If 47 year-old Seong Gi-hun, had quit playing the game with the stranger he meant, on receiving the lots of slaps from him, then he wouldn’t have experienced victory at last. Like I said before, ‘Victory is Victory’; you can see how Seong Gi-hun forgot about the handsome reward of 100,000 won that attracted him to the game-he was just bent on returning the hot slaps he was given. I learnt “No matter how many times we fail, one win clears the failures”

3. Inverse motivation
Sometimes we get motivated to win, just to prove someone wrong. At first, Seong Gi-hun was lured into playing ddakji by the handsome prize he would be given if He won. But later on, after failing lots of times and receiving slaps as compensation for his inability to pay his opponent as agreed, his mind drifted from the prize to be won, to returning the slaps back to his opponent. I learnt from this scene that “The greatest drive that push a man to the top, is when he is made to defend his esteem”.

4. Unforseen positivity
I must admire the confidence and bravery of Seong Gi-hun to accept playing ddakji with the man that approached him. Although he had no money on him, he accepted to pay 100,000 won if he failed. Such bravery; such risk. I learnt: “We should be brave enough to take risks when necessary; our rewards comes sometimes through heavy risks”.

5. Jaundiced
without allowing the strange man speak, Seong Gi-hun just assumed that the man was a Christian on evangelical mission. If the man wasn’t persistent enough to explain himself, Seong Gi-hun would have believed he was a preacher. I learnt “assumptions are not facts!”

6. Trust but verify
Seong Gi-hun went to visit his friend and was told by his friends mother that his friend had traveled abroad for a business trip and was making it big in life. Seong Gi-hun felt a little bit intimated and was in a state of “make them cut soap for me now” he started recounting how he took the guy to school when he was younger. Only for Seong Gi-hun to discover his friend was a huge debtor and was also a partaker in the Squid Game and had never left the country. I learnt “Although some stories are true, we must learn to confirm that our love ones are safe and most importantly know everyone has a problem underneath his chest”.

7. Be kind but with sense
The Bible says we shouldn’t be too wise nor too foolish: that is to say “too much of everything is bad”. Due the “green light; red light game”; the first game that was played by contestants, on a normal circumstance, a foolish person would have tried to rescue a shot participant and get himself killed too. I learnt “use wisdom in all circumstances”.

8. Save a life when opportune to
Seong Gi-hun would have been eliminated in the green light; red light game but he was saved thrice. First, by using his wisdom to hide underneath a dead body during the chaos and uncontrolled shots. Second, by his friend who advised him to get up and try reaching the finish line, if not he would be killed. Third, by the unknown player who held him from falling when it was time for them to remain still. I learnt “everyone can help another in the very way they can; no excuse! And also, helping involves sacrifice”.

9. Be calm during chaos
Green light; red light, being the very first game they played, the contestants didn’t understand what the instructor meant by the word ‘eliminate’. When they discovered it meant death, there was chaos which led to them forfeiting the rule of standing still and got their selves killed. I learnt, “in the very possible way we can, be still when there’s chaos; fright can only make things worse”.

10. Love is sacrifice
Seong Gi-hun wasn’t ready to play the squid game just because of earning money to flex or pay debts, so he just kept the business card of the facilitator in his pocket. Not until he reasoned that his daughter would be leaving the country with her stepfather and mother to the US; he couldn’t claim his daughter legally if he was financially buoyant, hence he needed to play this game to get quick money. I learnt “Relationships are the very important sacrifice one could struggle to keep”.

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Paul Angone’s book, 101 Secrets for Your Twenties has all you need to navigate through this stage of life.

The book juggles humour, real-life advice and easy-to-read notes. It expands on advice that everyone in their 20’s should know before venturing out into the real world. The advice that Paul shares make one to realize that they are not alone in tjisy journey.

Being twenty-something can feel like death by unmet expectations.

Each chapter resonates with day-to-day life of any 20-something year old. The chapters flow with different guidance and examples through humour and real life stories from Paul’s life.

Paul hangs all of his dirty laundry out there to help all of us feel as though we are connected through shared experiences, thoughts and reflections.

He also shares his personal experiences e.g marriage an career just so to drive his points home and also to show that he’s been there and done that.

The book doesn’t sugar coat any aspect of being in your 20’s. It slaps you with all the truth. It highlights several issues such as: losing friends, feeling lost, and lonely. Paul points out that it’s okay to seek help if need be.

The book will make you understand this phase of life and realize you are not alone. Life can be difficult, nd sometimes we get caught up in situations that push us to the wall, but we aren’t the only ones going through that.

I highly recommend this book to any 20-something-year-old out there. It is available on Amazon.

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As of October 2020, Netflix had a total of 195 million paid subscribers globally. With the huge following, movie makers stand a chance of being exposed to a broader audience. Here are 6 Kenyan films that are streaming on Netflix.

Kenyan films streaming on Netflix

• Just In Time
• Captain of Nakara
• Poacher
• 40 sticks
• Sincerely Daisy
• Disconnect

Just in time

Just In Time, a family comedy-drama film written, directed, and co-produced by acclaimed Nigerian filmmaker Dolapo Adeleke premiered on Netflix on March 2021. Dolapo is well known for directing the movies, This is it and Plan B.

The film, shot in Nairobi in 2019, was produced by award-winning Kenyan actress and producer Sarah Hassan, who also stars in a lead role in the movie. It also stars top Ghanaian actor Mawuli Gavor, well-known for his works in Nollywood and Ghallywood films (Devil in the detail and Sugar rush), Kenyan child actress and presenter Stycie Waweru (Supa Modo), and Kenyan actress and DJ, Pierra Makena.

Captain of Nakara 

The Captain of Nakara is a movie that features a lot of Kenyan talent, with most of the actors being familiar faces from television and others. Notable faces in the film include the late Charles Bukeko, Bernard Safari, who acts as a small-time thug who has just been released from prison in a presidential pardon together with his friend, Sunday, played by Charles Kiarie.

The plot features around a recently released criminal from prison. He is a charming con man who continues his deceptive ways when he tries hiding.

Poacher

The poacher revolves around issues on illegal ivory trade and was filmed in Tsavo West National Park. The Kenyan/British short film tells the story of a daring farmer who steals illicit ivory from a group of international terrorists and must elude their dangerous and deadly games.

It won the Best Short Film award at the 8th Kalasha TV & Film Awards and bagged nominations for the Best Director, Best Director of Photography, Best Supporting Actor in a Film, and Best Actor in a Film.

40 Sticks

40 stick is a Kenyan-produced 90-minute movie that premiered on Netflix on November 20. This action-thriller movie features a criminal gang of four — Pablo (Robert Agengo), Biggie (Mwaura Bilal), Mustafa (Andreo Kamau), and Majuju (Xavier Ywaya).

The movie, which rose to the second most-watched on its first week on Netflix in Kenya, is particularly captivating in its deployment of slang/sheng with the unimaginative mix of English and Kiswahili.

Sincerely Daisy

The movie was produced and directed by Nick Mutuma; some of its characters include Foi Wambui, Ella Maina, Brian Abejah, and Mbeki Mwalimu.

Also read: Sincerely Daisy: When parents listen to their kids

Daisy (Ellah Maina) is the main character in the one and a half-hour long movie. She plays a talented urban girl who has big dreams of being an actress after excelling in her final year of high school examinations.

However, things take a sad turn when it became apparent that her dreams of studying abroad could be shattered because her family cannot afford to pay for it.

Disconnect

Disconnect is a Kenyan romantic comedy film directed by David ‘Tosh’ Gitonga and Michael Jones. The film stars Kenyan actress Brenda Wairimu and actor Nick Mutuma who lead a diverse cast that explores the dating scene in Nairobi.

A group of single people stumbles through the wild dating scene in Nairobi as two friends wonder if their relationship is more than platonic.

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