Film Review: Seeking the Soul of the Soul Boy

Four days in Nairobi is all Hawa Essuman has as she shuttles from Rotterdam to Berlin. Essuman arrived at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) from Sweden’s Goteborg Film Festival and the world premier of her new film Soul Boy. On February 19th, Soul Boy screens at the Berlin Biennale and everywhere it goes, so Hawa Essuman will go.

Njorogo Matathia gives Soul Boy a glowing review, but wonders about the makings of an "African" film. What defines African. Read more.

What does it mean to be an African lesbian?

Read as Sokari Ekine profiles South African photo activist Zanele Mutholi. Read and take a look at these powerful images.

Zanele's photographic work challenges the many stereotypes of African womanhood, femininity, masculinity and victimhood often displayed by the media both on the continent and abroad. At the same time she allows herself - and us - to celebrate not just our bodies but what they do and give to us.

How to Parlay a Bit of Luck into a Life Changing Experience

A missive written in officious standard three English - big un-joined letters but perfectly legible - arrived last week from a Michael Oduor announcing that he had found my husband's driving license and that if 'Sir' contacted his brother on  the undersigned number, arrangements could be made to return the same. 

Although government offices generally practice admirable utumishi for all these days, the all are usually far too many and the queues in the necessary offices and at various desks can be seriously off-putting. In short, we were mighty relieved to hear of the potential shortcut represented by Mr. Oduor.  200/ bob, I thought, thank you very much and the paperwork, given our very-active traffic cops, is safely back where it's sure to be needed soon.

More here.  

The unafrican African

Read as Stephen Wanyama explains his identity, or lack of. Is he a Bukusu man, a Kenyan, an African? Well, he says neither. Read too, the interesting discussion that follows from readers-- the unafrican African.

I know nothing about African customs. I read quite a lot so I know about some Agikuyu customs and Luo ones, I also know quite a number of Gujarati customs. I know about the customs of my parents' people, the Bukusu. I do not know any African customs though. I rather admire the history of some communities and famous people down the ages. Cyrus the Great, Mekatilili, Koitalel Arap Samoei, and so on. I even have a vague fondness for Napoleon and Thomas Jefferson, although the adventures of Samouri Toure and Uthman don Fodio don't particularly tickle my fancy.

Will he take my name?

Nekessa Opoti in a fictional account on having her husband take her last name. Read more and join in the debate on whether women should keep their names or that of their husband's. Click here.

When I proposed to my husband, he was elated. We had been dating for about two years. I did all the right things. We were both college graduates, but he earned slightly less than I did. I was supposed to be the bread-winner, but the extra income would come in handy when we began raising a family and building a home. In many ways, we were a conventional couple.

Men and Housework: Why the Tug- of- War ?

Richard Mbuthia addresses modern day homes, and men and women's traditional responsibilities. Follow this link for more.

Seated on the settee poring over the daily newspaper and occasionally glancing at the wife, working herself to the bone, is the husband. Housework, in all honesty, is believed by most husbands (read men) to be the sole responsibility of women. To many men there is no doubt who should do all the housework, even the daunting chores, come rain come shine – women. Now, what causes most men(husbands) to have an acrimonious attitude when it comes to the issue of helping their wives? I tend to think that African culture has played a major role in inculcating into the minds of men the belief that housework is for women and that they should avoid it like the plague.