By VINCENT OWINO

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Imagine having to introduce yourself to your father every day.

Budding filmmaker, Kamande Muigai has been there before, but not as portrayed in his film Duara, (Swahili for circle.)

His short film stars renowned Kenyan theatre performer-turned small screen actor Ian Mbugua, known for the 2013 Kenyan comedy House of Lungula.

He plays Mr Mwaniki, a father with dementia living in a nursing home and can barely remember his own name, let alone recognise his only son, a teenager.

The son, Patrick, played by Trevor Hannington, shows up at the nursing home daily to spend some time with his father, and has to deal with the trauma of having to introduce himself to his father several times in the duration of his visit and struggles to have and keep up a conversation with him.

The film has garnered over three thousand views on YouTube, three weeks after premiering, evoking emotional reactions from viewers, with some saying it made them break down and others saying it made them reflect on their relationship with their parents.

But the film is special too for many other reasons. It ingeniously depicts the real-life struggles of the families with member living with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, and also alludes to the need to stay positive even in the most hopeless situations in life.

No easy task

The producer, a 17-year-old Grade 12 student at Brookhouse International School in Nairobi, says his own experiences inspired him to write and produce the film, hoping to encourage people to hold on in difficult situations as well as to sensitise society about dementia and Alzheimer’s, conditions which cause loss of memory especially in some middle and older people.

“The film is a metaphor for being stuck in a cycle. I wrote it during the lockdown, when I felt I was in a cycle of my own.

''I couldn’t see anything changing and I was dealing with someone who forgets me every day,” Kamande told The EastAfrican.

Mbugua, who plays the demented father has previously been a judge in the popular Tusker Project Fame that featured participants from across East Africa. He currently teaches art at the Brookhouse, and Kamande is one of his students.

Budding filmmaker, Kamande Muigai PHOTO | COURTESY

“I approached Mr Mbugua as I was writing the script. I never in my life imagined that he would say yes, but he has been so helpful. Not only did he agree to play the part, but he was also very patient with me as I shot and reshot the scenes,” Kamande said.

Producing the film wasn’t an easy task for Kamande, though. A lot of time went into it and the bureaucracy of seeking the relevant authorisations to film at certain locations such as the Chiromo Hospital in Nairobi.

Having written, shot, directed, edited and produced the film with help from his friend, Thomas Seward, its success will put Kamande among the youngest filmmakers in the region, joining the likes of Kenya’s Kevin Njue and Uganda’s Busiinge Aggrey, whose films, 18 Hours and Woman’s Fire respectively have gained acclaim in the region.

“What I want people to take from this film is that if you have love and commitment, nothing else really matters, there is light at the end of the tunnel, even if you can’t see it,” said Kamande. Hopeful words from someone so young.