Unseen Nairobi
Film, Food & A View.
Keep scrolling to discover what’s on!
THE EMPTY GRAVE
2024 | 97 min. | A Film by Cece Mlay & Agnes Lisa Wegner| Tanzania, Germany | Language: Swahili & German | Subtitles: English
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Songea, Tanzania. John Mbano is on a mission to find the human remains of his great-grandfather, Songea Mbano, who was executed by the German colonial army. The family’s mourning has been passed down through the generations at Songea’s grave in which his head never found a resting place. Instead, it was shipped to Germany for racist research. John and his wife Cesilia embark on a life-changing journey. Buoyed by their resilience as they research, they finally decide to travel to Berlin to find the remains of John’s ancestor. There, they encounter activists whose voices are fighting Germany’s culture of denial. Along with them, the Mbanos confront those in power with their need to bring their ancestor home. What follows is a rollercoaster ride of new hopes and familiar disappointments. Even the historic visit of the German Federal President to John’s hometown fails to bring the beloved ancestor back home. The family’s search continues.
*Please note that as we are a small, cultural space our tickets are non refundable & cannot be exchanged for another date. So if you decide you can’t come at the last minute, we suggest donating or reselling your ticket! Make a friend happy with a gift of cinema.
SOUNDTRACK TO A COUP D’ETAT
2024 | 2hr 30min. | A Film by Johan Grimonprez| Language: English
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Jazz and decolonisation are entwined in this historical rollercoaster that rewrites the Cold War episode that led musicians Abbey Lincoln and Max Roach to crash the UN Security Council in protest against the murder of Patrice Lumumba.
*Please note that as we are a small, cultural space our tickets are non refundable & cannot be exchanged for another date. So if you decide you can’t come at the last minute, we suggest donating or reselling your ticket! Make a friend happy with a gift of cinema.
2024 | 1hr 32min. | A Film by Yuval Abraham, Basel Adra & Hamdan Ballal| Language: Arabic & Hebrew | Subtitles: English
NO OTHER LAND
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This film made by a Palestinian-Israeli collective shows the destruction of the occupied West Bank's Masafer Yatta by Israeli soldiers and the alliance which develops between the Palestinian activist Basel and Israeli journalist Yuval.
*Please note that as we are a small, cultural space our tickets are non refundable & cannot be exchanged for another date. So if you decide you can’t come at the last minute, we suggest donating or reselling your ticket! Make a friend happy with a gift of cinema.
Shorts Series
Join us for the start of our Shorts Series by viewing these two politically driven short films. Both uniquely different in style and production but touching on our poignant pasts merging with our powerful present.
2024 | 40min. | The Big Sad Nairobi | The Story of Ne Kuko
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THE BIG SAD NAIROBI - Tiny Stories in a Big City
Shorts | 15 m | 2024
Inkspace Bureau a team of digital animators and VFX specialists from Nairobi, Kenya. They have created a stop motion, short comic series. The film tells the story of a goat, personifying a human and questioning himself about life in Nairobi. Every quest is about becoming a better human and exploring the depths of friendship among other issues.
THE STORY OF NE KUKO
Short | 25 m | 2023
The story of how the mysterious power statue of Chief Ne Kuko was stolen should not be forgotten. Trapped behind glass, this nkisi resides in an European museum far away from his Congolese home. In THE STORY OF NE KUKO, the voice of an ancestor brings the nkisi's past to life. The history behind the statue links restitution activist Mwazulu Diyabanza, whose mission is to return African objects to their homeland, to the small village of Kikuku in the mountains of Boma, Democratic Republic of Congo. The true meaning of Ne Kuko's sculpture unfolds.
*Please note that as we are a small, cultural space our tickets are non refundable & cannot be exchanged for another date. So if you decide you can’t come at the last minute, we suggest donating or reselling your ticket! Make a friend happy with a gift of cinema.
MINI MORNINGS AT UNSEEN
From fantastical adventures to hilarious animations, come and join us for a fun morning! Every Sunday from 10am.
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Our Mini Mornings gives smaller kids the chance to experience films on the big screen in a child friendly environment, with soft lighting and lowered film volume. Mini Mornings are run every Sunday morning at 10am. Suitable for ages 2+
The ticket price is 650 KSH per child and includes fresh juice and a healthy, homemade snack. All children must be under the supervision of an adult. The screening is free for the accompanying adults.
MOVIE QUIZ NIGHT
Next Quiz Night - February 26th!
Join Mugambi Nthiga for another Movie Quiz at Unseen’s rooftop.
Join with your team or fly solo to compete as the ultimate movie trivia champion!
You can guarantee lots of laughs and friendly competition. Tickets are free but booking is essential.
UNSEEN GEMS FILMCLUB
Next Gems: February 23rd, 1.30pm
Join us for monthly themes and film discussions and discover the best film that you haven’t seen yet. Voting for the three film contenders via our Instagram page or Whatsapp Group.
Hosted by Unseen Nairobi with introductions & discussions led by friend, film lecturer & novelist, Matthew Daintrey-Hall.
Check out the GEMS archive on Letterboxd
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We don't want price to be a barrier to seeing and talking about great films, so pay what you can afford to join our Film Club each month!
Booking fee (supports a cheapy seaty)
550KSh
Subsidised fee (Cheapy Seaty) -
100KSh
Coming Soon…
SUGARCANE
2024 | 107min. | A Film by Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie | Subtitles: English
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A stunning tribute to the resilience of Native people and their way of life - SUGARCANE, the debut feature documentary from Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie - is an epic cinematic portrait of a community during a moment of international reckoning. Set amidst a ground-breaking investigation into abuse and death at an Indian residential school, the film empowers participants to break cycles of intergenerational trauma by bearing witness to painful, long-ignored truths – and the love that endures within their families despite the revelation of genocide.
*Please note that as we are a small, cultural space our tickets are non refundable & cannot be exchanged for another date. So if you decide you can’t come at the last minute, we suggest donating or reselling your ticket! Make a friend happy with a gift of cinema.