Supa Modo

‘So if you had one superpower, what would it be? Super Strength?’ · ‘No.’ · ‘Fighting Skills?’ · ‘That’s not a superpower.’ · ‘What then?’ · ‘Same as always, to fly.’

Nine-year-old Jo loves action films and dreams of being a superhero. Her biggest wish: to make a film and star in it. In her fantasy she can forget that she is terminally ill. When Jo’s sister can no longer bear seeing the cheerful girl spend her precious remaining time in bed, she encourages Jo to believe in her magic powers, and the whole village to make Jo’s dream a reality. This moving drama by Kenyan filmmaker Likarion Wainaina, created as part of a master class hosted by the German-Kenyan production collective One Fine Day Films/Ginger Ink, is about the power of the imagination and an unusual means of saying farewell.
by Likarion Wainaina
with Stycie Waweru, Nyawara Ndambia, Marrianne Nungo, Johnson Chege, Humphrey Maina, Joseph Omari, Rita Njenga, Dinah Githinji, John Gathinya, Jubilant Elijah
Germany / Kenya 2018 Swahili, Kikuyu, English 74’ Colour World premiere recommendation: 9 years and up

With

  • Stycie Waweru (Jo)
  • Nyawara Ndambia (Mwix)
  • Marrianne Nungo (Kathryn)
  • Johnson Chege (Mike)
  • Humphrey Maina (Pato)
  • Joseph Omari (Chairman)
  • Rita Njenga (Nyanya)
  • Dinah Githinji (Anne)
  • John Gathinya (Ozil)
  • Jubilant Elijah (Kush)

Crew

Director Likarion Wainaina
Screenplay Mugambi Nthiga, Silas Miami, Wanjeri Gakuru, Kamau Wandung’u
Cinematography Enos Olik
Editing Charity Kuria
Sound Design Florian Holzner
Sound Grishon Onyango
Production Design Neha Manoj Shah
Costumes Scolastica Namwai
Make-Up Victor Murigi
Casting Kamau Wandung’u
Assistant Director Ian Kithinji
Production Management Edwin Kariuki
Producers Sarika Hemi Lakhani, Siobhain "Ginger" Wilson, Tom Tykwer, Marie Steinmann-Tykwer, Guy Wilson

Likarion Wainaina

This Kenyan filmmaker was born in Moscow, Russia but now lives in Nairobi where he works as a director and cinematographer. As a cameraman he has filmed documentaries and commercials, as a director he has worked on several TV shows and made a number of short films. One of his first, Between the Lines, was the first Kenyan film to projected on an IMAX screen in Kenya. More recently, his film Bait screened at the Cannes International Film Festival.

Filmography

2013 Between the Lines; short film · The Friend; short film 2014 Before and After; short film · The Audition; short film 2015 Bait; short film 2016 Moving; short film 2018 Supa Modo

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2018