International Journal of Music and Performing Arts

Delineation of National Healing and Conflict Resolution in Film: A Case Study of Kenya
John Mugubi, PhD

Abstract
Most socio-political films in Kenya in the last decade manifest manifold shades of violence. By juxtaposing two films (Wale Watu and Pieces for Peace) that reflect the scenario in Kenya in December 2007 and early 2008 subsequent to bungled elections held on 27th December 2007, films that exhibit obvious physical violence, against two other films (Benta and Nairobi Half Life), which explore every day violence in metropolises characterized by capitalistic inequalities, this paper aims at evolving a practical framework for the evaluation of how dramatic craftsmanship of the theme of violence in the four selected films operates to interpret the Kenyan social, cultural, economic and political experiences. A framework of this nature will provide us with grounds upon which we can make objective deductions and substantive statements about Kenyan Films in this regard. The paper succinctly examines the external and internal processes operating in the characters in the given film texts and the strategies the authors employ to bring out these internal processes. Such an analysis is crucial in the evaluation of the relationship between an aspect of form; character, and content in the Kenyan film. The paper looks at characters in the four selected films from a sociopolitical perspective. In this regard, the paper looks at the film makers as committed artists, guided by the belief that any committed art is inseparable from political and social realities in its function. This paper looks at the film makers’ use of film as a vehicle of evaluating society and for enunciating their visions for their societies.

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