After screening at multiple international film festivals for a year, the film ‘One Woman, One Bra’, directed by Vincho Nchogu, is the Kenyan Film Commission’s official selection for the Oscars in the Best International Film Category.
The news comes as the film is about to screen at the upcoming NBO Film Festival, which helps the film’s Oscar chances; all films selected for the Academy Awards must be released in cinemas, for a mandated theatrical run, in their country of origin.
Officially announcing the news, the Kenya Film Commission said, “Rooted in the Maasai community, the film brings together authentic storytelling, powerful performances and the beauty of the Kenyan landscape in a story that speaks from Kenya to the World.,” the statement said. “Today, we celebrate a story that carries our voice, culture and cinematic vision beyond our borders.”
Developed through Biennale College Cinema, ‘One Woman, One Bra’ is one of four micro-budget features selected for the 2025 Venice Film Festival. At the time of its presentation, the film was the first Kenya-Nigerian-produced film to premiere at Venice, marking a milestone for producer Josh Olaolu and his Lagos-based company, Conceptified Media.
According to the synopsis, “the film is set in the fictional village of Sayit and follows a 38-year-old Star, whose claim to her home is jeopardised by the lack of legal kinship ties. Her situation is further complicated by the fact that she is an unmarried orphan.
When a childhood photo surfaces, Star suspects that a local food vendor might be her long-lost mother. Her search for identity becomes mixed with a desperate effort to retain her land, leading her to consider many questionable options.”
No Kenyan film has ever won an Academy Award in the International category, but the country has submitted some true Kenyan gems, including Maia Lekow and Chris King’s ‘The Letter’ and Likarion Wainaina’s ‘Supa Modo ‘, to mention a few.
Speaking about the film at the time of its premiere, director Vincho Nchogu said she wanted to make a film about a woman who does not have titles that society places on her.
“This film is about a woman and explores the idea of womanhood when a woman is not a mother, a wife or a daughter; can she stand by herself? Without a job…can she just be Grace, Mary or Joy? This film explores the idea of just letting women be.”
The film debuted in Kenya on September 11 at Prestige Cinemas. If you didn’t get a chance to watch it there’s still a chance during the film festival, which begins on October 15.
