03.07.2026 | Nairobi Half Life (2012)

Directed by David ‘Tosh’ Gitonga

Widely regarded as one of the most significant films in Kenyan cinema, Nairobi Half Life follows Mwas, a young aspiring actor who leaves rural Kenya for Nairobi in search of opportunity. Drawn into the city's criminal underworld while pursuing his artistic ambitions, he confronts the precarious realities of life in a rapidly expanding metropolis.

Combining social realism with compelling narrative storytelling, the film examines migration, economic inequality, and the tension between aspiration and survival. Nairobi emerges not simply as a setting but as a protagonist in its own right: a city of promise and disenchantment, where dreams of modernity coexist with structures of exclusion and uncertainty.

The screening will be followed by a discussion with director David ‘Tosh’ Gitonga.

The gallery doors open at 6 pm, followed by the screening at 7 pm.

Contact the host of Kenyan Modernities: Cinema and Social Critique

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