Born in Nairobi, Wanuri Kahiu is a Kenyan filmmaker and part of the new generation of African storytellers. To date, she has written and directed six films to international acclaim. Named a TED fellow in 2017 and a Word Economic Forum cultural leader in 2018, Wanuri has also published a children’s book, “The Wooden Camel.” “Rafiki” is her second feature film and was the first Kenyan feature film to be invited to Cannes Film Festival in 2018. Telling the love story between two girls, and centered around hope and joy, Rafiki was banned in the country in which it’s set, where same-sex intercourse is illegal. We featured Wanuri and the story of “Rafiki” as part of our “Through the Prism of Pride” series, where we present stories from LGBTQ+ communities around the world.
