Once in every red moon, (its blue moon but I love the color red) a good role comes by that tickles your fancy as an actor. Some wise guy once said “A role that will forever stick with you comes once in a lifetime in an actor’s career”. My acting career hasn’t barely reached the stage of being described as “a Lifetime” yet but a week later after shooting the film “the curse”, I am still traumatized and just maybe, the character I played Leonard, can fall into that bracket of (roles I will never forget in my lifetime).
I am happy I can laugh, ponder and talk about it now because it comforts me that I haven’t lost all of my humanity, but arguing with the director what drives my character to “rape” my 10 year old daughter with Autism, is something I am yet to come in terms with.
“The curse” is my latest project, a short film by ArtSkills Production written by Anne Gathoni Kungu (her 1st pro script) and directed by the infamous and experienced Mwendwa Mutua.
It tells the story of a rather twisted family…sorry, very twisted family, where the daughter has Autism and the father (that would be me Leonard), Lawyer by day and stupid by night, thinks she is cursed because Leonard simply can’t cope with her condition anymore because he just does not understand it.
Married to Magdalene (played by Emily Achieng), Leonard’s extremely submissive wife, they find themselves at a cross road between choosing their marriage and happiness or that of their children (yes, they also have a son who Leonard seems to hate for no good reason).
After a rape ordeal that portrayed Leonard as trying to help his daughter (because she will never get a man with her condition and he was giving her the experience of woman hood) Magdalene decides to chase her daughter away and chose Leonard over because she simply cannot “share” her man with someone else.
See, I was not joking when I said I am still somehow traumatized and that this was indeed a twisted script. With good intentions of course depending on what angle you look at it.
That is however the power of film. It brings the harsh realities of life right in your face and leaves you to ponder on it.
The film is currently in edit and I will definitely share it on my blog as soon as it is out.
Catch some of the behind the scenes pictures below and a shout out to my fellow cast Mwaniki Mageria, Norrah Ndonye, Young Wayne (talented kid this one is) and the amazing crew. #TuShoot
