One Woman One Bra

The villagers of Sayit, Kenya, are about to receive title deeds, marking the first time in centuries they will claim legal ownership of their land. While this is great news for many, 38-year-old Star faces the risk of losing her home. The title deeds are based on kinship ties, and since her parentage is unknown and she is unmarried, her situation is precarious. Things take a turn when Star discovers a photograph of her younger self in The World Book of Nomads. In the picture, a mysterious hand with familiar tribal markings catches her attention, as she recognises those marks as belonging to a local food seller. Believing the woman to be her estranged mother, Star confronts her, but the woman denies any connection. Desperate to maintain her claim to the land, Star considers several options: finding the foreign photographer who took the picture, proposing marriage to a friend, and signing a morally questionable deal with an NGO. However, this deal puts her at loggerheads with her community. *A comedy.

Cuators’ Note:
“Through a complex network of relationships and intertwining stories, the life of our protagonist, Star (Sarah Karei), opens up critical points of discussion about the communal, philanthropic, and anthropological commodification of one’s personhood. The film reveals how a person’s portrait is captured, and often exploited, depending on the gaze that frames it.”

African Cinema Now! runs on Tuesdays and Saturdays through the second half of June.

The lively feature debut from Kenyan filmmaker Vincho Nchogu belies its modest budget to tackle weighty themes with a deft balance of humour and pathos. One Woman One Bra tackles women’s rights and autonomy, but saves its most cutting commentary for tone-deaf Western NGOs and charitable organisations with an institutionally ingrained white saviour complex. It’s brisk, energetic and to-the-point; a persuasive argument for reclaiming a cultural narrative from those who have no right to it.

Screen International