A Kenyan actress has received an award from Africa's largest film festival for portraying a lesbian character in a film banned in her home country.
Samantha Mugatsia won the best actress prize at Burkina Faso's Fespaco festival for her performance in Rafiki, a film prohibited in Kenya by the Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) last year.
The KFCB cited "promotion of lesbianism" as the reason for the ban, reflecting Kenya's legal stance against homosexuality. The country's laws, inherited from British colonial rule, criminalize same-sex relationships with penalties up to 14 years in prison.
The film, which translates to "friend" in Swahili, follows a romantic relationship between two young women navigating societal prejudice and political divisions. It is based on a Ugandan short story by Monica Arac de Nyeko.
Fespaco, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, recognized the film's portrayal of queer characters despite Kenya's restrictions. Director Wanuri Kahiu expressed pride in the achievement, stating on social media: "The oldest African film festival acknowledged a queer character... Queerness cannot be silenced!"
The festival's top prize, the golden stallion of Yennenga, was awarded to Rwandan filmmaker Joel Karekezi for The Mercy of the Jungle, while Marc Zinga won best actor for his role in the same film.
