Short Films
I love creating short films, mostly because I can work on them as a one man crew. Film is a complex art. I sometimes think it is not even art, because it requires a lot of people working together to create it, and it relies so much on technology and on money. Jean Luc Godard once said that film will only become an art if the tools of making it are as cheap as pencil and paper. I think it will become art only if it becomes possible for one individual to create it with tools that are cheaper than pencil and paper. We are getting there, as cameras and software get friendlier for one-person-crews, as computing power gets cheaper, we are getting there. In most of the short films here, I was the only crew, doing everything from lighting to camera work to editing. It’s crazy fun
Kampala at Night
I love Kampala at night. I adore the low lights, which almost give it a romantic ambiance. It may not be brightly lit like the really big and rich cities, but the low lights give it a unique characteristic. I know a time will come when ‘development’ will happen and wipe away the beauty, and … Read more
The Ghosts of Dictators in Bukoba
Some places are like pages of a book that preserves history. Bukoba is one such place. It boasts of something from every chapter in human history; Stone Age rock art in Bwanjai, ancient foundries in Katuruka, a colonial palace in Kanazi, and ruins from one of Africa’s first inter-state wars in Kyaka. I went to Bukoba to look … Read more
Seven Tricks Ugandan Girls Use to Hook Men
A man has a lot of tricks to seduce a woman. Some are outright crude, like using his middle finger to scratch her palm when they greet. Some are outrageous, like whistling at her as she walks down the streets. Others are ludicrous, like telling her lies about his wealth. Because of the gender power … Read more
Africanized Christianity and Enchanted Places of Kenya and Uganda
This Christmas, I can’t stop thinking about how Christianity in Africa is gradually morphing into a hybrid religion spiced with local traditions, just as it did in pagan Europe. One strong indicator of its future is visible in Legio Maria. I first heard of them in my childhood, after a neighbor’s child fell off a … Read more
Hats and Feathers: The Fashionable Men of Karamoja
Every time I visit Karamoja, it feels like I’ve stepped into another world. I particularly like the colorful attire, which reminds me of Nepal, in many ways, (strange that they both love colorful clothing, and they both worship cattle). The one thing I can’t get enough of while in Karamoja, however, is hats, especially those … Read more