Rafiki – Streaming on BFI Player

Tom Grieve, Cinema Editor

19 May 2020 — 31 March 2021 Tickets from £3.50 — Book now

Now showing on BFI Player is Wanuri Kahiu lyrical lesbian romance, Rafiki. Notable as the first Kenyan film to screen at Cannes, Kahiu breathes life and colour into the story of Ziki (Sheila Munyiva) and Kena (Samantha Mugatsia), — star-crossed lovers up against a homophobic society and the wishes of their fathers, who happen to be rival politicians. Based upon a source novel by Ugandan writer Monica Arac de Nyeko, the films successes lie in the way Kahiu confidently sketches a Nairobi neighbourhood and the characters who inhabit it, building out a believable world for the grungy skater-kid Kena and the colourfully-coifed Ziki to fall in love.

The film was initially banned in Kenya, but once the ban was lifted, a one-week run in theatres saw it beat even Disney juggernaut Black Panther at the box office as audiences flocked to screenings.

Rafiki is available to rent on BFI Player from £3.50.

19 May 2020 — 31 March 2021 Tickets from £3.50 Book now

Where to go near Rafiki – Streaming on BFI Player

Manchester
Restaurant
Fairfield Social Club

Launching in spring 2024, Fairfield Social Club is a multi-purpose site next to Angel Meadows Park in the Green Quarter.

Cumbria
Theatre
The Coro

Nestled in the heart of Ulverston, a rural market town on the fringes of the Lake District, stands The Coro —an esteemed historic hub for arts, culture, and entertainment

Cumbria
Shop
Sam Read Bookseller

Award-winning small bookshop in the Lake District. Est. by Sam Read in 1887. Run by Will Smith and Polly Atkin.

Restaurant
Capri

Capri serves up homely, family-style Italian food in North Yorkshire.

Manchester
Restaurant
Manchester Wine Tours

Manchester Wine Tours is a relaxed, fun wine tour, taking in four or five venues across three hours, plus six high-quality glasses of wine.

Sheffield
Shop
Juno Books

Friendly local queer and intersectional feminist bookshop in Sheffield. Visit for interesting fiction and non fiction books.

Restaurant
The Dusty Miller

Family friendly pub situated in the beautiful village of Mytholmroyd.

Winckley Square
Lancashire
Park
Winckley Square

Hosting a variety of year-round events, from guided walks to jazz evenings, Winckley Square is a Georgian square packed with history in Preston city centre.

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