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United Kingdom London

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7:00 PM

Festival Screening 'Nawi' + Discussion

Film Screening|Part of Women and the World Internationl Film Festival

  • Goethe-Institut London, London

  • £6, £3 Concessions and for Goethe-Institut language students & library members.
Tickets über Eventbrite

Close up of a brown skinned girl with beads around her neck looking defiant ©Klaus Kneist, Renata Mwende

Close up of a brown skinned girl with beads around her neck looking defiant © Klaus Kneist, Renata Mwende

We are pleased to team up with the Women and the World International Film Festival (IFFWW) to present the German-Kenyan co-production NAWI, followed by a discussion joined by Kevin Schmutzler, one of the film’s four directors.
The film is followed by a discussion with Naana Otoo-Oyortey, Executive Director of Forward UK, Kevin Schmutzler, one of the film’s four directors, and actor Nicole Ansari Cox, moderated by Liliia Hladunova (Women and the World Film Festival)


Nawi dreams of attending high school, but her hopes are crushed when her father arranges her marriage to a stranger in exchange for bride wealth in the form of livestock. Supported by her brother Joel, Nawi refuses to accept her fate. Her father, influenced by tribal elders and family, remains firm, while even her three mothers see marriage as her destiny. On her wedding night, Nawi escapes, embarking on a journey to Nairobi in pursuit of a better future.

Filmed in Turkana, a region in northwestern Kenya facing harsh climate conditions and extreme poverty, the story reflects the reality that one in four girls there is married underage—despite child marriage being outlawed in Kenya since 2014.
The film was initiated by educational NGO Learning Lions. Directors Toby and Kevin Schmutzler launched a Kenya-wide writing contest, with the winning story by first-time writer Milcah Cherotich forming the basis of the film. Local talents Apuu Morine, a native of Turkana, and Vallentine Chelluget from Kisumu joined as co-directors, both making their feature film debuts.

Germany, Kenya 2024, colour, 99 mins, Swahili & English, English subtitles
Directed by Kevin Schmutzler, Toby Schmutzler, Apuu Morine, Vallentine Chelluget. Screenplay: Milcah Cherotich, Kevin Schmutzler, Tobias Schmutzler. With Michelle Lemuya Ikeny, Joel Liwan, Nyokabi Macharia, Marrianne Nungo, Benson Ochungo Obiero, Patrick Oketch, Ben Teke.

This event is a collaboration between the Women and the World International Film Festival (IFFWW) and the Goethe-Institut.
 

Tickets via Eventbrite


FORWARD (Foundation for Women’s Health Research and Development) is the leading African women-led organisation working to end violence against women and girls.

The Women and the World International Film Festival (IFFWW) takes place from 6–13 November 2025. Following its inaugural year, which spotlighted women’s resilience in conflict zones, the festival returns with the theme Peace Strategies: Women as Agents of Security. Through exclusive screenings, panels, and masterclasses, the festival aims to spark urgent conversations about gender equality, societal resilience, and the evolving role of women in safeguarding communities amid crises around the world—with an expanded programme and an impressive jury spanning Oscar and BAFTA winners, acclaimed actors, and pioneering filmmakers.
 

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