Young, talented and making history. Those are the words I would use to describe the cast of LAME which premiered at Rupa’s Mall Cinemas on Friday 11th, December 2020.
The screening was nothing short of exciting. First, you were ushered in by the lovely lady on the left,
sanitizer, temperature check nini nini. Second, you’d pass by a guy with a laptop to confirm your tickets. Once confirmed, you then proceeded to the red carpet. I don’t know about you but there’s something ridiculously exhilarating about strutting on a red carpet. Makes you feel important. If you wanted to you could take photos on the carpet courtesy of Nimepoz Nation.
The Drip and The Treats
People, men and women alike, came draped and dripping. I’m talking fitted suits both western and African , sequins, Cinderella dresses, thigh high slits, high heels, cut outs, you name it!! It was quite something to behold. Of course you could interact with your favorite Eldoret celebrities at the carpet as well as the cast of the movie.
Regular ticket holders were treated to popcorn and a bottle of water while VIP ticket holders enjoyed an extra cocktail from Zaika on top of that. We did a couple of interviews to see how people were feeling, excited is an understatement. The hallway was buzzing.
At around 7 sth Megan, who was part of the production team came out and announced the movie was about to start screening so we took our positions in our respective halls. Eldoretians came to support and the turn up was so good, actually filled 2 halls!!! If you’ve been to Rupa’s Mall Cinemas, you know how big those halls are. It was such a proud moment for the team behind the production.
Onto The Screening
The vibe of the place alone was enough to get us giddy. I mean a whole wall of screen combined with padded seating, and an impeccable Dolby sound system. Of course the room was air conditioned. We had no complaints really as far as the quality of the cinematic experience. LAME started screening shortly after we took our seats.
LAME The Movie
I found the story quite interesting. So did everyone else if my interviews are anything to go by.
The movie is about a guy called Lameck shortened to LAME played by Octav and a girl he falls for called Tasha played by Qui Gitonga. The only problem is Lame ends up f*ing Tasha’s 5 year project and loses his job in the process. Blowing up Tasha’s dreams doesn’t seem to shame him into stopping his pursuit and they eventually end up working together. The supporting actress and actor played by Clare Wahome and Kelvin Njema respectively equally brought the heat.
The movie was shot in various locations in Eldoret including Zaika, Bubbles, and St Luke’s. From talking to the cast the previous day (check out our ig stories for the full interview), it took 5 or 6 years for LAME to come to life. The movie which is a production of Eldoret Film Festival gannered support from local businesses who came in as sponsors and the Kenya Film Commission. It made history even as the first Eldoret based movie to be screened in a movie theater.
It was produced by Cosmas Bii, a visionary and the man behind Eldoret Film.
The movie was directed by filmmaker Joan Kiragu Rispa. Other members of the production team included Kelvin Mbayagi, Papa Joe, Samora Kibagendi, Enock Oyoo, Rodgers Liambira, Jairus Kibagendi, Symphony Media Solutions, Pax Africa films, Ignacio Hennigs, Gnittel Natasha, Cherrie, and Shemikhan.
If you missed the first screening, watch out for the second screening which is in the works. According to Natasha who was part of the cast and was also incharge of welfare during production, the team hopes to screen the movie in theaters all over the country.
Photo Credits: Nimepoz Nation
Video Credits: Eldoret Leo