Malih returns to her community as the first Maasai filmmaker—both an insider and an outsider, a woman amongst men—so that she may carry on the sacred tradition of storytelling.
Supported by
Community Partner
Dukuya Lekominga, Nderi Lolinge, Patrick Ole Saikong, Reuben Legei, Clinto Lekominga, Rupes Caro
Kenya
2024
In Maasai, Samburu and English with English subtitles
Indigenous & Community Access
Indigenous Access Tickets Community Access Tickets Ticket Donation Requests
Credits & Director
Executive Producer
Tracy Rector
Producer
Kavita Pillay, Tracy Rector, Adam Mazo, Taylor Hensel
Screenwriter
Laissa Malih, Kavita Pillay
Cinematography
Franklyne Mudulia Manono
Editor
Sauli Pillay
Original Music
Soundstripe, Moments
Laissa Malih
Laissa Malih is the first female Maasai filmmaker. Her work focuses on documenting, linking, amplifying, and scaling up youth and women’s voices across diverse Indigenous cultures in Kenya and the world. Her 2020 documentary, River of Brown Waters (2020), looks at the significance of the Ewaso Ng’iro, a river that serves as a lifeline for pastoralist communities surrounding Mount Kenya. In addition to film work, Malih has participated in international conferences and fellowships focused on climate adaptation and cultural legacy.
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
Measures for a Funeral
When a young academic discovers a personal link to Canadian violinist Kathleen Parlow, she is compelled to dig deeper. Her investigations lead her on the trail of an elusive concerto, lost for over a century, but which she is determined to bring to light.
Meadowlarks
Fifty years after being separated during the Sixties Scoop, four Cree siblings reunite for the first time on a long weekend trip to Banff. Tasha Hubbard’s sensitive drama relates an emotional and life-affirming story of kinship and belonging.
