Dir: Damien Hauser | Switzerland/Kenya 80’ | Cast: Shandra Apondi, Ibraham Joseph, Samson Waithaka, Michael Garama, Damien Hauser and Newton Ronnoh
A truly unique vision of a hopeful future comes in Memory of Princess Mumbi, a new genre of African Sci-Fi made possible by the radical use of Artificial Intelligence that manages to create a big budget look on a shoestring.
Combining mockumentary, with archive footage, and a cast of new stars from East African cinema, this uplifting feature tells of a peaceful aftermath to our modern experience of continuous wars with a menage a trois between a filmmaker, a prince and a princess at its core.
The action takes place in 2094 when aspiring director Kuve reflects on the Great War of the 2070s, which erased modern technology and revived kingdoms. Expecting to find despair in Umata, where a war has been raging, he instead meets up with Mumbi who inhabits a village that has finally found peace: And Swiss-Kenyan filmmaker Damien Hauser really manages to convey a feeling of light and happiness casting a joyful Shandra Apondi in the role of the Princess Mumbi, and even a nostalgic score of romantic tunes from the past.
Mumbi is a happy person who shows him how to find hope and even beauty, rather than negativity in the simple moments of everyday life. Memory of Princess Mumbi is a vibrant and often moving imagining of how the world could really be if we could only be positive and work together for the common good. A real tonic for cineastes and audiences of all ages. @MeredithTaylor
VENICE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2025