English Subs: Nawi

The film follows the tenacious and inquisitive thirteen-year-old Nawi, who discovers her father has arranged her marriage. The impressive images of the African landscape, the infectious music, and the beautiful lead performance by Michelle Lemuya Ikeny create a sympathetic film with a clear message.

Nawi lives in Turkana, a remote region in northern Kenya, where child marriage, despite being officially illegal, still occurs. When Nawi discovers her father wants to marry her off to a much older man, she decides to run away the night before her wedding. What follows is a moving and courageous struggle against a deeply rooted tradition, but also a fight for self-determination and the right to education. With this, Nawi tries to change not only her own fate, but that of all girls in Kenya.

The film is based on a story by Milcah Cherotich, the debut novel of a young woman who submitted it to a national story competition in Kenya. This story became the basis for the film and connected with both local and international concerns about child marriage and gender equality.