About this episode

This episode explores the 2018 film Rafiki, its cultural significance in Kenya, and the challenges of depicting a lesbian romance in a criminalized context.

This Queer as Fiction episode is on Kenyan director Wanuri Kahiu’s 2018 lesbian romance film, Rafiki. Join us for a rich exploration of Kenyan culture through the lens of the director’s self-titled “Afrobubblegum” genre, the real-world ramifications of releasing a lesbian film with a happy ending in a country where homosexuality is criminalised, and a DJ named after an Australian cartoon character. Check out our website, where you can find our sources, as well as everything there is to know about Queer as Fact. If you enjoy our content, consider supporting us on Patreon, checking out our merch, and following us on Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr and Bluesky. [Image: A poster for the film Rafiki, featuring the two leads, Samantha Mugatsia and Shiela Munyiva. It specifies that the film was an Official Selection “un certain regard” at Cannes Film Festival.]

People in this episode

Host: Queer as Fact

Topics covered

• lesbian romance
• Kenyan culture
• Afrobubblegum genre
• homosexuality
• film analysis

Keywords

• Rafiki
• Wanuri Kahiu
• lesbian film
• Kenya
• Cannes Film Festival
• Afrobubblegum
• homosexuality
• film analysis

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Cannes Film Festival

Books & works: Rafiki

Places: Kenya, Australia

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