The Casual (2008 short film)

John and Maureen acting the only home scene, photo by Aiko

This short film is a Ugandan-made comedy about infidelity in a low class society. Kimani, a frustrated mason is too poor to satisfy his wife Kanini’s material demands; so she has a secret affair with her husband’s rich boss Bruno. Kim’ later finds out because of her green scarf and "beautiful woman" confession, but lets it pass. Afterall, his salary is increased and he is also promoted to construction foreman. No person nor animal was harmed in the making of this film...

Team B with Mentor Shernaz Italia (wearing glasses), Director Mark is the one in a checked shirt and black trousers (left), photo by Aiko

The Crew [Team B]:
Screenwriter/ Director: Mark Mutahi; First AD: Angela Wamai; Production Manager: Edward Aikobua (The 2008 Maisha Girls nicknamed me "Sniper" probably because I was shooting photos somewhat unnoticed plus vanishing without warning); Camera: Richard Magumba; Sound: George Kaigwa; Editor: Anthony Muteru; Runner: Timothy Tabaaro

Cast Credits:
Kimani (John Mary Mukiza); Kanini (Maureen Nankya); Bruno (Roger Masaba); Meja (Samuel Lutaaya); Mama Mike (Keloy Kemigisha); Cashier / Janet (Eva Tumwesigye); Construction Workers – 2 Extras (Charles Kajubi and Sam Kalya); Baby Connie (Stella Nambaya)

Mira Nair standing on the Maisha Rock (during the 2008 Maisha Graduation Day), photo by Aiko

Special Thanks to:
Mira Nair, Founder Maisha Film Lab; Musarait Kashmiri, Program Director; Ami Boghani, Program Co-ordinator; The Management and Staff of Royal Impala Hotel Munyonyo; Fred, the Maisha Driver; Joseph, the Coaster Driver; Bony and Twaha, Team B Drivers, Just-A-Band Kenya (for the Music Score), Buziga Country Resort [though their clip was redone at Royal Impala]; Fressy Hotel Munyonyo; Godfrey Nyakaana; Yasin (Foreman at the Construction Site); Geofrey Wandera (Prado Driver); Alex Kibaya (Landlord's son) and Mary Najjemba (both Parents of Baby Stella); Parbat Siyani, MD Seyani Brothers; Nitin M. Vekariya; Parbat Kerai; Stella Ntungira and Abu Mike …

“The Casual gives us 20 degrees more comedy than the other two films from this year’s workshop…”
- MIRA NAIR, Founder Maisha Film Lab

(Developed with the Assistance of Maisha Film Lab 2008)

Samuel Lutaaya Tebandeke (Meja) and Aiko (Production Manager) on one of the two Rehearsal Days at Royal Impala Hotel's bar (Munyonyo, Kampala City)

Written and directed by a 28 year old BBC Award-winning radio playwright, Kenyan newspaper humour writer plus "digital maestro" named Mark Mutahi, this 2008 Maisha Film Laboratory short film is about infidelity and forgiveness in a poverty-stricken society. Kim(ani), the main character is a frustrated mason who wants to go back to the village. Due to delayed wages and debts, he cannot afford to feed his wife Kanini and their baby daughter - Connie well. So, Kanini has a secret affair with his boss as a source of money because she is "a beautiful woman"! Kanini used to be a teagirl at Bruno's office. According to Mira Nair, The Casual was the film with "20 Degrees" more humour among the three filmed in 2008; it was actually the least tragic and least gloomy! It featured Ugandan stars such as Maureen Nankya (Mariam Ndagire's first feature film brought her to my attention, other screen roles also cemented her legacy and she did some music too), Keloy Kemigisha (as Mama Mike - the Kiosk Owner who refuses to give Kimani milk and bread on credit, though in the original script, Kanini pays off her husband's debts), my artistic SMACK Old Boy John Mary Mukiza plus Samuel Lutaaya who was originally cast as Kim but then changed to his closest workmate Meja. Samuel also known as Tebandeke later married an actress from a different film. Location Coordinator and Fun Factory actor Kwezi Kaganda's sister - Eva Tumwesigye had a non-speaking role as Janet, the receptionist for Kim's boss. Two extras (Charles Kajubi and Sam Kalya) also acted. During Auditions at National Theatre, I tried to convince Director Mark to choose "Koyi Koyi" rapper GNL Zamba as one of his Actors in vain but was still very happy that Mukiza succeeded for the main role; Maureen who was selected instantly to play Kanini (No Contest) was also a big Fan of the ferocious Lugaflow rapper like me. Maybe they would have been the couple if I had persuaded Mark. It was his movie, so I let him call the shots. Mark was really hilarious; I even got a cut on my shin after falling down at his hotel room's doorway because he had cracked me up with a joke. The technical crew included three Kenyans (First Assistant Director - Angela Wamai whose name I typed above mine in the credits because she had more TV experience than me; Soundman George Kaigwa who was a huge fan of Angela as the Maisha Day drinks revealed and Editor Anthony Muteru Paul who wanted to make a very extraordinary cut) plus a Tanzanian - Richard Boniface Magumba as the cameraman. Two crews actually had Tanzanians as their cameramen while NTV's Ugandan camera pro Abubaker Muwonge captured shots for the third film. There were many other people including Mentors who helped make this flick possible and I listed them in the credits that the editor put at the end of the film. However, I forgot to rtf (Rich Text Format) to him the Runner - Timothy Tabaaro (who worked for all three flicks) plus Just A Band (Kenya) who provided the soundtrack. Angela knew them personally and she gave me their number to call and ask for permission which they granted.  

Maureen Nankya at Buziga Country Resort, photo by Aiko

The Casual was the very first film I got involved in seriously; I was used as a Production Manager which was part of my Maisha training after my own script failed to make it to the Top 3 out of 9. Nevertheless, I loved the whole experience completely because mere admission to Maisha Film Lab was a huge Dream-come-true Moment; Wishes became Memories. Thanks be to GOD for the "heavenly prison" though Musarait allowed me to go to UCU Mukono to clear something; I had to be back before nightfall to hand in my final script! I worked really hard and enthusiastically during Maisha, even got a strange new friend in KLA City who started calling me mysteriously during that Munyonyo Fest. In my 3rd Year at University, I glued Mira Nair's Sunday Vision Newspaper article with photo (31st July 2005) on the wall at the head of my bed because it was my goal to join her academy. I heard about Maisha forming in 2004/5 but only applied in 2006 (with "Arua Boys" script) since I was about to graduate from UCU Mukono. I was not called, then tried again in 2007 (with "My Heart" script printed in Wandegeya) but was not called again. I almost gave up. However, while FM-listening in Arua at the beginning of 2008, I heard a hit song entitled "Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill)" by WYCLEF JEAN ft. AKON, LIL WAYNE and NIIA that inspired me to draft my third attempt entitled "Last Night: They Went Out": Money, money, money, it drives the world crazy. Again, it was not selected but when Gad Wesonga - a Kenyan prospect invited for the 4th Annual Maisha Lab ("Screenwriters Bootcamp" with the first Technical Crew Training) declined to attend, Maisha Film Lab Program Director Musarait Kashmiri called me on short notice (two days from the start) to replace him and I could not throw away a grand opportunity for anything else in KLA, Mukono or Arua. Today, am very happy I made that safi [Translated from Swahili: fresh or clean] decision! The Casual was developed within six days in six different locations supposedly within one mile near Royal Impala Hotel (Munyonyo). Footage from the seventh location was never used, but the whole day spent near that area was very enjoyable because it was the Furthest Place where the entire crew filmed. Early morning, Musarait drove us all there in her Mahindra pickup truck. Eva was even reading for a school test back in KLA but joined us later in the day. I remember that location in Buziga as the venue for Patience Museveni Rwabwogo's Covenant Nations Church, I used to follow it on Lighthouse TV.

John Mary Mukiza on a road in Buziga for Mama Mike's scene, photo by Aiko

At first, the idea was to use a lifeless doll in a baby-cot as a prop for Kimani's child but in the neighbourhood where we were filming, Mary Najjemba offered her baby Stella Nambaya as our Youngest Actress; it was a heartwarming swap! She (I do not want to call the baby "it") did not cry, probably because Maureen held her expertly. I had to send one of the kids around to buy maize just before the scene that required maize, but other major purchases like unavailable props and the matooke (as seen in the photo) for Mama Mike's part were done by a fixer. After filming The Casual, we ate the maize and bananas, but I do not know what happened to the bread. The small black radio Kanini snatched from Kim's hand was actually my own. Because of a fix, time had run out to print one more poster from where the other posters used in the movie had been done; so I hand-designed the "There's nothing like free lunch!" desk poster placed in the accounts office. Janet's office scenes were filmed at Fressy Hotel hundreds of metres near Royal Impala Hotel, but her boss Bruno's office was actually an office at the hotel where we were camping. The exterior of their company was filmed at Seyani Brothers on Nsambya-Kabalagala Road - the actual Furthest Place of filming though only a six people travelled in a grey saloon car taxi with Bony (one of the Maisha drivers). It was me, Mark, the cameraman plus two mentors: Annie and Barry; films are truly illusions! The money Kimani receives in the film is actually both Ugandan and Kenyan Shillings banknotes. When Meja mentions that Kimani already owes him 900, you wonder if it's Kenyan or Ugandan Shillings, but since it's a low income chat, you let it pass. Though written by a Kenyan, there was no major effort to make the film look completely like it was set in Kenya: The car numberplate remained Ugandan and all the actors are Ugandan.

Aiko and Musarait at Maisha Land (2008), photo by Ami

Life [Maisha] is a dream come true! Besides Joel Okuyo (who featured in Kenyan-born Ugandan Patricia Olwoch's "On Time"), Mira, Musarait and Kwezi, the other person I knew before the 2008 Maisha was the main actor John Mary Mukiza, a talented fine artist who studied a few years ahead of me at SMACK. His younger brother, my classmate in Ordinary Level (1997-2000) - Jude Karuhanga is actually one of my Best Fine Art Influencers of All-Time; he encouraged me to read comics but was also an impeccably skilled pencil artist to emulate, let alone had a great soprano voice in the school choir. They were very staunch Catholics, that's why John has Mary in his name. The Most Remarkable Alterations in Mark's flick, for me, were the last scenes: Noone got killed like in the original script. I really danced happily during Maisha Day even though it was the end of a dream, at least it was fulfilled: Attending Maisha Film Lab was my Biggest Goal and I achieved it. Everybody was great in their own unique way including my Kenyan roommate David Ohingo at Namulwa 4 and then Pendi 1 upstairs with two balconies - he was Production Manager for "On Time", but the attendee I fancied most was Vincho Nchogu (Ndlovu), the Kenyan Production Manager for Lucy Judith Adong (Anyira Agoro)'s flick "Sins of the Parents". Vincho was lively (also had amazing tact with kids), carefree and very intelligent plus she knew a lot of happening places in Uganda probably because she had been here for some time. I loved her Afro Hairstyle the first time I saw her, truly African! We made up and sang a song together about Maisha Film Lab based on "Aisha" by CHEB KHALED, just altered a few of the 1996 lyrics: "Maisha, Maisha, listen to me, oh oh! Maisha, Maisha, oh mama! Maisha, Maisha, revise my script, oh oh! Maisha, Maisha, don't be too strict!" At Ndere Cultural Centre, I was amazed at how fearlessly outgoing she was. On Maisha Day, a Nigerian who was with Mira Nair's husband Professor Mahmood Mamdani asked me whether since I had graduated, I would marry an actress; that was not my plan. Cameraman Abubaker called me Vincho's man because I used her laptop for a lot of my work during Maisha, but I already had a different girlfriend. Of course I liked Vincho very much, but also knew that she would be gone, though I met her again during the British Council's Wapi (Words and Pictures) Festival at Hotel Africana's Parking Space a few weeks later with her cute Kenyan friend Zipporah Nyaruri (Zippy) - writer and director of "Zebu and the Photo Fish (2011 Maisha short film)". I told Zippy who came around during our Royal Impala Bootcamp that I want to make short videos that can be viewed easily on mobile phones. Musarait gave me 20k UTL Airtime for my Production Manager Operations. That amount was actually worth my own Service Fee alone for four Months or Airtime for about five while I was on Campus (2003-6), but I was meant to utilise it for only one Week in 2008. Against the Rules, I did not even use that talktime for my unit alone, but it still remained. I recommended to Maisha that they could make four instead of three flicks per lab and they expanded their project. To me, this Film Lab is a wonderful Garden for burgeoning plus very well-established filmmakers!

Aiko Cartoon

It's because of the many interesting People I met at the 2008 Maisha that I joined facebook immediately and am happy I finally gave in, otherwise I thought it was just like Yahoo or Gmail Chats. My Best Friend from Jinja whom I had been looking for in 13 unlucky years (1995-2008) added me from Australia/ New Zealand and I felt amazed. Two years later, the Maisha African Film Festival was started, following in the footsteps of Amakula International Film Festival, Kampala (since 2004)...