IN BETWEEN THE SHADOWS

DIRECTED & SHOT BY BRIAN BETT

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CREDITS

SCREENWRITER

NATASHA WREN

CASTING DIRECTOR

KANIZ SHEIKH

CASTING ASSISTANT

BENI RUMASHA

BTS PHOTOGRAPHER & VIDEOGRAPHER

NATASHA WREN

RENTAL COMPANY

AFRICA GRIPS, FILM & RENTALS

MUSIC

KODAK TO GRAPH

PROJECT JOURNEY

For Brian Bett, being brought up in East Africa, specifically Nairobi, Kenya, while also having to opportunity to study in London, UK, put him in a position to see the vast differences in social complexities in both countries.

With Kenya being closer to him, he decided to approach an ongoing crisis within the greater African region. The LGBTQ+ community faces multiple Social, Political, and intersected stigmas in their everyday lives.

While considering the current inequities that the community undergoes in Kenya, Brian had to find a way to protect his dancers' anonymity to ensure their safety working with him on the film.

The body movements through dance intersecting with light and shadow play create a motif for storytelling while allowing room for the dancers' anonymity. This way, Brian can convey a narrative that is easy to follow without outing the dancers' identities.

In the current state that Kenya exists in, Queer individuals are at a high risk of harm and discrimination if their sexual and gender identities are known.

A project like this can bring negative attention to them, which is not the objective of this project. Brian also interviewed a few LGBTQ+ Kenyan individuals about their life in Kenya. These testimonies played a vital role in shaping the narrative of this film.

From the themes of dystopia to queer joy, the film captures some of the euphoria and challenges that Queer Kenyans experience.