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Der Kampf um den heiligen Baum/ The Battle of the Sacred Tree [35mm]

Cinema Restored

,Cinema 3
Two women and a man laugh whilst standing in front of a shop front.

Traditional African beliefs conflict with missionary domination in a rural Kenyan village in Wanjiru Kinyanjui's powerful drama, centring around a supernatural tree. 

Based on Barbara Kimenye's short story and set in a Kenyan village, the film follows Mumbi as she escapes her abusive husband in Nairobi and returns to her ancestral home. There, she clashes with a Christian women's group intent on wiping out pre-colonial beliefs, particularly setting their eyes on a revered tree believed to have supernatural powers. The film’s dialogue alternates between English and Swahili, enriched by the soundtrack of Senegalese musician Mamadou Mbaye.

Shot entirely in Kenya with a local cast, Der Kampf um den heiligen Baum celebrates African storytelling and invites viewers to explore cultural identity and tradition.

Directed by Wanjiru Kinyanjui, the Kenyan writer, poet and filmmaker, the film was her graduation project for DFFB (the Berlin' film school), and showcases her wit and self-assurance as a filmmaker.

Tagged with: Cinema Cinema Restored

Germany 1995 Dir Wanjiru Kinyanjui 82 min

Languages: English, Swahili

Print courtesy of Deutsche Kinemathek - Museum für Film und Fernsehen.

With thanks to Kristov Brändli.

 

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