Kenyan Script Wins in Development Prize Spain

Hawa Essuman’s screenplay for a supernatural film, Djin: The Wind of Destiny, won the Director’s Eye prize at the 9th African Film Festival of Cordoba in Spain last October. The accolade comes with a 25,000 euro prize (about Kshs. 3,000,000) to be used in development.

Djin beat out six other scripts which had been presented at the 4th Forum for African Co-production in Cordoba. Special mention went to Salme’s Freedom, another Kenyan story by Mira Tanna-Händel.

Other screenplays in the running were Sweet Justice by Ekwa Msangi-Omari (Tanzania, U.S., Kenya),  Kiloshe by Victoria Thomas (Sierra Leone), La Batârde by Uda Benyamina and Malik Rumeau (Morocco, Syria, France) and La Bande à Salomon by Kivu Ruhorahoza (Rwanda).

Essuman has already received an award this year at the International Film Festival of Durban for another script, Logs of War, which has also been selected to screen in the International Documentary Festival of Amsterdam.

The synopsis for Djin, which is a supernatural tale reads:

“Every 30 years, in a village on the coast of Kenya where mythology and tradition prevail despite modernity’s attempts to penetrate, a wind blows, carrying with it a spirit: the Djin. This spirit selects people, urging them to fulfil their aspirations, at the same time eliminating doubts and ambivalences.“

Hawa Essuman directed the highly acclaimed supernatural thriller and first film in the One Fine Day Films Workshop project, Soul Boy. She has worked on Makutano Junction as well as directing Selfish?. The Lift, Cold War and Coming Out.