Rafiki
Two girls in Nairobi, in a film Kenya banned.
Bright, warm, and made under real risk. That counts.
- 2018
- 82 min
- 94% on Rotten Tomatoes
- 6.8 on IMDb
- #romance
- #drama
- #coming-of-age
Our take
Kena and Ziki fall for each other in a Nairobi estate where their fathers are running against each other for office. Wanuri Kahiu shoots it in candy pinks and blues — she has called her aesthetic Afrobubblegum — and the sweetness is deliberate, a refusal to make African queer life only a story about suffering.
Kenya banned it, then lifted the ban for exactly seven days so it could qualify for the Oscars, and it sold out every screening. The film itself is slight in places. The fact of it is not.
Where to watch Rafiki
Stream
MUBI
MUBI Amazon Channel
Metrograph
Film Movement Plus
Film Movement Plus Amazon Channel
Fuse+ Amazon Channel
Free
Kanopy
Hoopla
Rent
Amazon Video
Apple TV Store
Google Play Movies
YouTube
Fandango At Home
Spectrum On Demand
Buy
- Amazon Video
- Apple TV Store
- Google Play Movies
- YouTube
- Fandango At Home
Streaming availability data provided by JustWatch. Availability changes often and is checked daily — confirm on the provider before paying for anything.
Scores
Ours
- Jibbi Score — 4 out of 5 rainbows. Bright, warm, and made under real risk. That counts.
Everyone else’s
- Rotten Tomatoes — 94%, via OMDb.
- IMDb — 6.8 out of 10 from 3,463 votes, via OMDb.
- Metacritic — 68 out of 100, via OMDb.
- TMDB — 7.0 out of 10 from 156 votes, refreshed daily.
The plot, officially
Kena and Ziki long for something more. Despite the political rivalry between their families, the girls resist and remain close friends, supporting each other to pursue their dreams in a conservative society. When love blossoms between them, the two girls will be forced to choose between happiness and safety.
Synopsis and poster via TMDB.