our philosophy: sinema jua kali

Our work is inspired by the jua kali tradition in Kenya. Jua Kali is Swahili for

hot sun, that is, people working in the hot sun, on street corners, at roadsides... people who do not have the protection of a roof of a workshop...people who have to innovate to survive. Jua Kali is the industry of people who have to improvise to survive the harsh realities of daily life.

Like jua kali workers, Hot Sun Films and Hot Sun Foundation uses indigenous methods and know-how to create films. The cast and crew of our first film, The Oath, are local people who volunteered their time and energy.

We believe that through using jua kali methods Hot Sun Films gives a new definition to authenticity, relying on low-income communities in east Africa to interpret their own history and culture in film.

We aim to inspire other filmmakers to make films in the jua kali spirit. Filmmakers in Africa, and especially East Africa, can mobilize local people, resources, stories, and music to make good films. They don't have to have a Hollywood size budget. They do need support from the media, video shops, schools, libraries, museums, business sponsors and the African and global public at large to pay to watch and to buy copies of their films.

We also welcome other filmmakers to collaborate with us on future projects. We believe that the jua kali spirit will open up more cultural space for people everywhere.

Hot Sun Films/Foundation - YouTube Channel
http://www.youtube.com/HotSunFilms

(Photo by Chris Elam)