Violence as a symbolic tool of enunciation: Film as an artistic response to Kenya’s socio-eco-political realities

Most socio-political films in Kenya in the last decade manifest manifold shades of violence. By juxtaposing two films (Wale Watu and Pieces for Peace) that reflect the scenario in Kenya following the bungled elections of 27 December 2007 – films that exhibit obvious physical violence – against two more (Benta and Nairobi Half Life), that explore everyday violence in metropolises characterized by social inequalities. This article aims to evolve a practical framework for the evaluation of how dramatic craftsmanship on the theme of violence in these films operates to interpret the Kenyan social, cultural, economic and political experiences. A framework of this nature will provide us with grounds upon which we can make objective deductions and substantive statements about Kenyan films in this regard. The article examines the external and internal processes operating upon the characters in the film texts and the strategies the film-makers employ to bring out these processes. Such an analysis is crucial in the evaluation of the relationship between an aspect of form – character – and content in the Kenyan film. Characters in the four selected films are considered from a socio-political perspective. Guided by the belief that any committed art is inseparable from political and social realities in its function, the article looks at the film-makers as committed artists, and examines their use of film as a vehicle for evaluating society and enunciating their visions for their societies.