By MALIK MERCHANT

On October 15, at the Aga Khan Museum’s Nanji Foundation Auditorium, will be the Canadian premiere of two short films by award-winning Canadian filmmaker, Kiana Rawji. Kiana recently graduated summa cum laude from Harvard College with a joint concentration in History & Literature and Film, specializing in Cross Cultural Encounters, Diasporic Identities and The Indian Ocean. From independent theaters to Oscar-qualifying film festivals, her films have screened across Canada, the US, and East Africa. 

The two films screening on October 15th are:

• Inside Job: A short fictional film about an Indian woman who, when preparing to leave her home in 1970s Kenya, loses a piece of jewelry and suspects one of her African domestic servants stole it; and
• Mama of Manyatta: A short documentary about an extraordinary woman fighting HIV and gender-based violence in a Kenyan slum

In our interview with Kiana we learn more about her work and what inspires her. We invite you to watch her two short films at the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto on Sunday, October 15:

Voices: Simerg’s Interview with Kiana Rawji

“I strive to tell stories that recognize diversity, complexity, and nuance, while connecting people through universal, human experiences. I’m especially interested in topics surrounding migration, diasporas, and identity” — Kiana Rawji

Simerg: Can you tell us about how you got into filmmaking?

Kiana Rawji: Throughout high school, I had been interested in the intersection between storytelling and social justice, and I had pursued that through writing and public speaking. Filmmaking was always a hobby of mine growing up, but I never even considered it as an academic or career path. When I got to Harvard, I thought I was going to study Government and go to Law School. But then I took a class called Social Justice and the Documentary Film my first year and I was drawn to film as a provocative medium to raise awareness, evoke empathy, and elevate marginalized voices. After I made my first short film in that class, I never looked back. Now I can’t imagine myself as anything other than a filmmaker.

At Harvard, I pursued a joint concentration because through History & Literature, I could learn about the very histories, in all their nuance and complexity, that would inform the stories I want to tell through film. Inside Job was a perfect example of that. 

Simerg: Where did the idea for Inside Job come from?

Kiana: The film was largely based on my own family history — my parents and grandparents grew up in Nairobi, but before that my family traces back to Gujarat, India. I knew I wanted to make a film set in the 1970s Kenya, during a period of exacerbated racial tensions, due to the rise of ethnocentric nationalism in the region. I was particularly interested in the ways “Africans” and “Indians”/“Asians” perceived and interacted with each other. Since society was so racially segregated though, I realized the most common realm of interracial interaction and intimacy was in the household; virtually all brown households employed black domestic “servants”. What was all the more interesting was that, despite the deeply entrenched taboo that restricted social contact between brown women and black men in particular, these two types of people consistently interacted on a daily basis through the domestic labor relationship. I started to wonder how larger cultural norms and boundaries as well as political tensions were both reinforced and transcended in such close quarters. 

Interview continues below

So I decided to explore that dynamic through oral history research. I interviewed many East African Asian women who lived through the 70s, as well as black African domestic workers. These interviews informed my whole script, from the subtleties of the dialogue to the core elements of the plot. I decided to focus on the theme of theft because of how much it came up in my interviews, and how symbolic it was; it was clear that both sides felt the other had stolen something from them. South Asians in East Africa felt that their own homes, along with properties, businesses, etc., were stolen from them when they were largely expelled from the region in the 70s. At the same time, native East Africans felt that “Asians” had stolen all the wealth and land in the first place. Both were stuck in a colonial system of inequality and a highly racialized socioeconomic hierarchy that lasted well beyond the colonial period. It’s a complex issue. Both sides built up mythologies around and resentments toward each other, and I think part of that can be reflected in relationships fostered in the household.

Simerg: What was most difficult about filming Inside Job?

Kiana: Well, the effort to make a period film in a foreign country in under a week with a budget under $10,000 was a huge challenge in itself. But I was able to find an incredible, talented cast and crew to achieve this and make it all easier.

The biggest challenge I faced was trying to get it right. I was recreating a history that I hadn’t lived through. I studied Swahili at Harvard and that helped but I don’t even speak or understand Gujarati. But the way I addressed that challenge was to consult a lot of experts.

The interviews I conducted before writing the script were, themselves, instrumental to helping me understand the details of what it was like to live in 1970s East Africa, from the food that was eaten to the daily routines. I looked at old photos from my interview subjects as source material for my costume designer. I based the Indian family off of an Ismaili family, since that’s who I was primarily interviewing and that’s my family history, so that meant that the family would be much more westernized than other South Asians in the region, wearing western clothing and using British dishware.

I was fortunate to receive generous support from Nazim Mitha at the National Museum in Nairobi; he connected me with one of the main museum curators (who was helping put together the upcoming exhibit on East African Indians) who was basically my set design consultant, guiding me on props and setups. Shariffa Keshavjee, who has been a regular contributor to Simerg and an avid patron of the arts, was also such an amazing source of support; she was a source of cultural knowledge and also helped connect me to people in the local film industry. And then one of the most important things was finding actors who spoke the languages of the film (English, Gujarati, and Swahili) and could move authentically and fluidly between them, infusing scripted lines with their own touch. All these details are what helped me build the world of my film in a colorful, sensitive, and authentic way. It was one of the most fun and rewarding experiences I’ve had.

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“When it comes to filmmaking around social issues, I’ve learned that stories of injustice and adversity are incomplete without the stories of resilience and endurance that invariably exist alongside them” — Kiana Rawji

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Simerg: As for your other film, Mama of Manyatta, how did that come about? How did you come to meet the subject, Phelgone Jacks? 

Kiana: A few years before I made the film, my older sister Zahra had met Mama Phelgone through a Harvard College summer global health program that connected students with local NGOs and CBOs. Mama Phelgone worked on removing stigma around those affected by HIV/AIDS in Kisumu. After spending some time with Mama Phelgone, Zahra told me there was a story there that I had to tell. The next summer (summer 2019), when I went to Kisumu and met Phelgone myself, I instantly agreed that hers was a story that needed to be told. Her community-centered approach to creating impact was remarkable, and she, herself, was one of the most generous, compassionate, and dedicated people I have ever met. 

Twenty years ago, Phelgone founded a community-based organization fighting HIV/AIDS and gender-based violence in the slum of Manyatta in Kisumu. She was a mother figure to Manyatta’s young and old; she built an Early Childhood Development Center outside her home, hosted safe-sex workshops for teenage girls, counseling sessions for women survivors, and more. Though she helped people work through immense trauma, what was most remarkable about Mama Phelgone (as she was affectionately known in Manyatta) was that she cultivated strength and joy wherever she went, through prayer, song, and dance. She was, in her own words, an “ambassador of hope.”

Rather than the all-too-common narrative of the suffering African poor, I wanted Mama of Manyatta to present a portrait of African empowerment and leadership.

In a similar vein, while my 2021 documentary Long Distance was an exposé of systemic racial injustice in Canada’s immigration system, it was also, at its core, a love story about a Filipino immigrant couple — two resolute dreamers who prevailed despite the forces working against them. When it comes to filmmaking around social issues, I’ve learned that stories of injustice and adversity are incomplete without the stories of resilience and endurance that invariably exist alongside them. 

Soon after I shot Mama of Manyatta in 2022, Mama Phelgone was diagnosed with metastatic cancer. She passed away in the middle of my post-production. Though I was deeply saddened, my drive to preserve a remarkable life and legacy only intensified. Through my film, I hope Phelgone’s story continues to inspire change.

Interview continues below

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“I decided I didn’t want to be a filmmaker who hides behind her lens, observing, recording, then leaving. I want to be the kind who knows when to stop being a fly on the wall and start engaging — when to be a friend, not just a filmmaker. When artists get proximate to their subjects — which sometimes requires those precious interactions unmediated by a camera lens — opening their souls and immersing themselves in the lives of others, the product is more meaningful and fulfilling for everyone involved” — Kiana Rawji

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Simerg: What were some of the most memorable moments from the production/filming of Mama of Manyatta?

Kiana: There were so many — it was such a joy and a privilege to be included in the circle of warmth and love that Mama Phelgone radiated. 

But there is one moment in particular that stuck with me. It was in the middle of a workshop on gender-based-violence; Phelgone was helping a group of women — survivors of sexual assault –prepare for upcoming post-election violence and the risk it posed to women in the community, including themselves. I remember that, when Phelgone sensed the air in the room growing heavy, she suggested a dance break. 

And so they got up, they played music, they danced, they smiled, and they laughed. 

Phelgone and the women beckoned for me to join them. But the filmmaker in me was so keen to capture every detail of this moment — the rhythmic body movements, the courageous smiles, the unbridled laughter. Something unexpected and beautiful could happen any second, and if my camera wasn’t rolling, I thought, I might miss it. But that day, I realized that sometimes you also miss things when the camera is rolling. After filming the women dancing for a few minutes, I decided to set down my camera and join them. They showed me some moves, I was awful, they laughed at me, I laughed at me, and it was wonderful. 

I went into that shoot believing in the power of the camera, but I came out of it having also learned the power of putting it down. I decided I didn’t want to be a filmmaker who hides behind her lens, observing, recording, then leaving. I want to be the kind who knows when to stop being a fly on the wall and start engaging — when to be a friend, not just a filmmaker. When artists get proximate to their subjects — which sometimes requires those precious interactions unmediated by a camera lens — opening their souls and immersing themselves in the lives of others (whether through dancing, sharing meals, or conversations), the product is more meaningful and fulfilling for everyone involved. 

Simerg: What inspires you? What drives your creative process?

Kiana: My intersecting identities as a South Asian Muslim woman and child of immigrants from East Africa inform the stories I want — and need — to tell. I strive to tell stories that recognize diversity, complexity, and nuance, while connecting people through universal, human experiences. I’m especially interested in topics surrounding migration, diasporas, and identity. 

My creative process is driven by compassion, curiosity and collaboration. It begins with passion and personal investment in a story, followed by detailed research and engagement with real people and real stories. Sometimes my work is based on my personal life and serves as catharsis. Other times, I start with family history, like in Inside Job. Other times yet, I look for the extraordinary in ordinary people who endure injustice, like in Mama of Manyatta, or my previous documentary,  Long Distance. 

Simerg: What is your advice to aspiring filmmakers? 

Kiana: It doesn’t take much to start. You don’t need fancy equipment or huge amounts of funding — all you need is a camera (which could be your phone) and a good story. There are so many resources online. I taught myself how to use film editing software and write film scripts on the Internet. It just takes initiative and passion, and if you have those two things, you’re off to the races. I always remember what my idol, Ava DuVernay, said once when giving advice to filmmakers starting out. (I remember meeting her at a Harvard event, and feeling so energized and unbelievably  inspired by her; she is the person who made me realize I wanted to be a filmmaker in the first place). She said something along the lines of ‘don’t wait for something precious.’ Just begin. It doesn’t need to be the perfect, most eye-grabbing, world-changing idea. Everything you make will help you learn, and you’ll only get better. Just begin by telling stories you care about. 

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Purchase Tickets at Eventbrite for Kiana Rawji’s Film Screening at the Aga Khan Museum, October 15, 2023, 11 AM – 1 PM

A limited number of tickets to the screening of Kiana’s two films on Sunday, October 15, 2023 from 11 AM – 1 PM at the Aga Khan Museum’s Nanji Foundation Auditorium are available and can be purchased by clicking on EVENTBRITE – KIANA RAWJI FILM SCREENING. Secure your tickets ASAP before they sell out! The price of the ticket includes parking at the Museum.

On the day of the screening, the Museum’s restaurant, Diwan, will be open (it is recommended to make a reservation in advance) as well as the Museum cafe.

Film screening guests will receive a 50% off discount on museum tickets (normally valued at $20), and are invited to explore the Aga Khan Museum exhibitions before or after the screening, during operating hours of 10 AM – 5:30 PM.

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Visit Kiana Rawji’s Website

Details about Kiana and her previous work can be found at www.kianarawji.com. 

Date posted: September 28, 2023.

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Kiana Rawji is an award-winning filmmaker from Calgary, Alberta, and daughter of South Asian immigrants from Kenya. She recently graduated summa cum laude from Harvard College studying Film and History & Literature. Through film, she tries to amplify social issues and drive cultural change; from independent theatres to Oscar-qualifying film festivals, her films have screened across Canada, the USA, and East Africa. Kiana’s TEDx talks on Islam and the Cosmopolitan Ethic have reached over 150,000 people worldwide.