Sam Soko | Documentary | Kenya | 2020 | 96m

Boniface “Softie” Mwangi has long fought injustices in his country as a political activist. Now he’s taking the next step by running for office in a regional Kenyan election. From the moment Boniface decides to run, telling his wife, Njeri, in passing with a hesitant laugh, he responds to each challenge with optimism. But running a clean campaign against corrupt opponents becomes increasingly harder to combat with idealism alone. And Boniface soon finds that challenging strong political dynasties is putting his family at risk. Should country really come before family, as he’s always believed?

Content warning: This documentary shows brief but graphic images of the violence following the 2007 Kenyan elections.

"...the global crisis has, in some ways, made the film’s message even more urgent and relevant, connected to a global, though also intensely local, struggle." -Julie MacArthur, Africa is a Country

"Eye-opening as 'Softie' is as an immediate account of toxic Kenyan politics, it's an equally moving marriage story, unsentimental but generously sympathetic in its study of a family brought to the brink of collapse for a greater good cause." -Guy Lodge, Variety

Best Documentary - Durban International Film Festival
Silver Star - El Gouna Film Festival
Editing Award - World Cinema - Documentary - Sundance Film Festival

Cost $10 (Taxes included.)
Good for 4 days.

Watching here supports EyeSteelFilm and Carbon Arc.