When the son of a powerful drug baron falls in love with an undercover narcotics officer, it puts the family’s illegal drug trade in jeopardy.
Sele (played by Abdalla Yuwa) meets Njeri (played by Eve Wanja) in what he thinks is by chance, but the truth is that his family is under a secret investigation. Sele desires to pursue a degree in economics; however, he faces pushback from his drug baron father, Shoka (played by Hillary Namanje).
He demands that Sele join the family business like his brother, Tembo (played by Juma Shibe). As Sele fights to distance himself from his family’s business, he falls head over heels in love with their biggest threat.
These are scenes from ‘Diani,’ a feature film by Gumzo Community Based Organisation (CBO), based in Kwale County.
“It is a story of drug trafficking as told through Sele. A clash between Sele’s dreams of joining university and his father’s interests of continuing the family business arises,” says Abdalla.
‘Diani’ movie plucks scenic spots off this dreamy tourist attraction on the southern coast popular for its endless stretch of blue waters and soft white sands.
Directed by Sharif Mohamed and produced by Hassan Salam, the film immerses viewers in Sele’s appreciation of this picturesque town against Shoka’s involvement in the same place in illegal drug trafficking.
As Sele promotes local tourism by conducting tours for visitors, Shoka expands the drug empire by buying an island to establish a drug trafficking port.
Through the former’s pursuits, the film shows the beauty of the town: its incredible sunrises and sunsets at the Kongo Beach, water sports like jet skiing, and the marine life with swimming dolphins.
Despite this showcase of beauty, the film also reveals the menace of drug abuse in the coastal region. That, although it is set in Diani, other cities can learn from this.
“We chose Diani as our location because it’s one of the popular coastal towns. It is easier for us to get the attention of the international film market. Also, we are seeking to show that if this can happen in Diani, it can happen anywhere,” Abdalla says.
During the shoot, aside from dealing with extreme heat, they had to actually burn a house for a particular scene since they didn’t have a green screen to create that video effect.
He takes pride in having worked alongside veteran actor Hillary Namanje, whose list of accomplishments includes roles in ‘Pete,’ ‘Mvera,’ and ‘Mawimbi.’
“Working with Hillary was a huge experience for me. It was effortless to create an onscreen chemistry since he trains me at the Little Theatre Club in Mombasa,” he shares.
Abdalla discloses that he had to work out and lose 10kg to resemble a 20-year-old Sele. “Sele and I are two different people. Getting to his physical shape was the hardest task for me. Recognised as a geeky character, it took me time to step into his shoes,” he explains.
Abdalla, who is also this film’s scriptwriter, is no stranger to the film and TV scene. He explored his artistry in the feature film ‘Mvera as an art director and an extra, in the movie ‘Sanura,’ as the acting role of Fumo, he was a messenger from Chale in the ‘Pete’ TV series, and played the character of Mswahili in the ‘Mshamba’ TV comedy series.
The film, which had a premier screening in Diani and Mombasa last year, is yet to be enjoyed by the public. The Gumzo CBO is hoping to land a deal with a streaming platform.
“The film industry has grown; there are more productions and production companies. The pay for movie artists has improved, and we are able to make investing decisions out of that,” he expresses.
Apart from filming, Gumzo CBO plans to hold workshops and employ artists through ‘Filamu Bora’.
Subscribe to our newsletter and stay updated on the latest developments and special offers!
