Coming to VOD today, Tuesday, December 10: STREET JOURNEYS
Tracy Christian’s look at one woman’s mission to help Nairobi’s street children made its debut at Birmingham’s Africa World Doc fest last year. Other screenings have included the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s Art of the Real series, LA’s Women’s International film fest, and St Louis. FilmBuff now brings the film to iTunes, Amazon, Movies on Demand, PlayStation, Google, Vudu, CinemaNow, and XBOX.
Christian’s hour-long doc focuses on Shangilia Mtoto Wa Africa, a home established by a well-known Kenyan actress, Anne Wanjugu, to get homeless children off of Nairobi’s streets. Harboring no illusions about life on the streets, Wanjugu’s goal is practical – she teaches theatre arts and skills to give her dozens of charges the tools to escape drugs and exploitation and break the chain of poverty. Filming over several years – profiled children Sam and Martha are shown as they grow from pre-adolescents to young adults – Christian spotlights the beloved Wanjugu until her untimely death about halfway through the film, then shifts to the efforts of others who take the reins at Shangilia, climaxing in a late 2000s performance and recording tour of the US by a selection of children, accompanied by professional African-American musicians. The project is well-meaning, with a welcome, affirming, and proactive message about making a difference even in the face of challenging circumstances, but, over all, it’s a workmanlike film, with the potential of its longitudinal aspect largely unexplored in favor of an overuse of the kids’ performances and timeworn developments like the US trip.
what (not) to doc 