BLACKLISTDocumentaryFILMS

SOFTIE

Staff

January 30, 2021405 views0

Sam Soko’s “Softie” opens on a tumultuous scene of preparation. Activists and demonstrators in Nairobi, Kenya, are rounding up stray pigs to paint the names of corrupt politicians. Once on the street, the now decorated pigs squeal loudly as they’re hoisted in the air, unhappy symbols representing the ruling class still in power despite years of bloodshed and bureaucratic malfeasance. The police do not take kindly to the protestors’ new mascots, and soon, chaos erupts. In the crowd, Boniface Mwangi emerges as a leader, and one of the first people to be arrested. His wife, Njeri, follows along nervously to where they’re taking him. Soko uses the moment to pepper in some of Kenya’s political history, something he and Boniface will do a few times over to help audiences get up-to-speed with Kenya’s present-day problems. Setting small snippets of historical footage to rousing music, Soko introduces Boniface with big bold letters to match his public personality.

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