What led you to make a film about this subject?
When we began this process in 2013, we never imagined where this journey would take us. We were simply curious to explore the oral history of the coast of Kenya and learn more about Maia’s “Mijikenda” roots (the nine tribes that make up the coast of Kenya.)
We had begun researching the story of a female freedom fighter called Mekatilili wa Menza who led an armed uprising against the British in 1913 at the age of 70, and was persecuted as a witch by the colonial administration. As we traveled to the coast of Kenya, collecting this oral history from the elders, they also told us about the witchcraft accusations happening today, with many of (the elderly) chased from their families and press reporting that up to 10 elders were being killed every month.