Rafiki

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Rafiki

2019

1h 23m

Drama

Romance

LGBTQ+

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

94%

Tomatometer

80 Reviews

72%

Popcornmeter

50+ Ratings

Kena and Ziki live very different lives in Nairobi. Kena works in her father's shop and awaits the start of nursing school, while Ziki passes the days hanging out with her friends and making up dance routines. Their paths cross when their fathers run against each other for seats in the County Assembly, and they find themselves drawn to each other. Soon their interest grows to affection and the girls find ways to love each other despite the ever-watching gaze of the neighborhood.

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Critics Consensus

Rafiki tells a familiar story with bracing originality, marking director/co-writer Wanuri Kahiu as a talent to watch.

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Claudia Puig

FilmWeek (LAist)

Sep 28, 2019

I really like this film and I think [director] Wanuri Kahiu is definitely someone to watch.

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Adam Graham

Detroit News

May 24, 2019

B

It's a film that is rushing with energy and life.

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Justin Chang

Los Angeles Times

May 9, 2019

But to merely describe what happens in "Rafiki" would be to overlook its transporting sense of place, its striking visual pleasures and its credible and moving performances.

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Marya E. Gates

Cool People Have Feelings, Too. (Substack)

Feb 12, 2024

Featuring electric performances from its two leads, Kahiu’s film is a vibrant tribute to the power of love and the strength of those who must fight to express it.

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KT Mahe

For Your Reference Podcast

Oct 9, 2023

4.5/5

What Rafiki has done and will continue to do to in the cinematic landscape of Queer cinema is something that cannot be watered down in any aspect.

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Oti

For Your Reference Podcast

Oct 9, 2023

5/5

We get to experience what it's like for the Queer community in Kenya. Not being recognised, the stigma that follows and what it would do to young people trying to navigate their way of experiencing love.

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Josh K

@RT91372129 Feb 10, 2025

Powerful, beautiful, heartbreaking. This forbidden love story is beautifully filmed and scripted. I love the parent-child drama and the real-ness of the scripting. what a film!

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Aug 11, 2020

I absolutely loved the movie. I would definitely give a rewatch. The colors and the soundtrack absolutely immaculate.

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Jan 3, 2020

Very few films capture the human spirit as vividly or as painfully as Rafiki does. Every aspect of the film is an achievement of it's own, whether it be the smart usage of color, background visuals to highlight how characters feel, or even just the heart breaking story it follows. Rafiki had me hooked for every second it was on. By the end, I was spun around by so many emotions, I had no idea how to feel. Angry, sad, and oddly enough hopeful. This is a movie that made my heart cry and sing. What an awesome and timely film; watch it!

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Dec 11, 2019

Beautifully made film with great acting talent on what is a somewhat standard story but significant for its country of origin.

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Nov 6, 2019

Bright and colourful, but bland story.

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Oct 14, 2019

Along with a pulsating soundtrack that perfectly captures the East African sense of place, Rafiki is a visually stunning film that is timely, relevant, and beautifully Kenyan.

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Wanuri Kahiu

Director

Samantha Mugatsia

Kena

Sheila Munyiva

Ziki

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Synopsis

Kena and Ziki live very different lives in Nairobi. Kena works in her father's shop and awaits the start of nursing school, while Ziki passes the days hanging out with her friends and making up dance routines. Their paths cross when their fathers run against each other for seats in the County Assembly, and they find themselves drawn to each other. Soon their interest grows to affection and the girls find ways to love each other despite the ever-watching gaze of the neighborhood.

Director: Wanuri Kahiu
Producer: Steven Markovitz, Tamsin Ranger, Wanuri Kahiu
Screenwriter: Wanuri Kahiu, Jenna Cato Bass
Distributor: Film Movement
Production Co: Schortcut Films, Ape&Bjørn AS, Razor Film Produktion GmbH, MPM Film, Afro Bubble Gum production, Big World Cinema, Rinkel Film
Genre: Drama, Romance, LGBTQ+
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 19, 2019, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 13, 2019
Box Office (Gross USA): $137.2K
Runtime: 1h 23m

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