The Maasai-rooted film explores identity, land and belonging through a woman’s search for her past, earning Kenya’s nod for the International Feature Film category.
Kenya has selected One Woman, One Bra as its official submission for the 99th Academy Awards in the International Feature Film category, putting a story rooted in the Maasai community forward for international consideration.
The film centres on a woman whose uncertain ancestry threatens her place in her community. Through her struggle to secure her home and uncover her past, it explores the connections between family, identity, land ownership and belonging.
Chosen from three submissions
The selection committee reviewed three films before choosing One Woman, One Bra. The process included technical requirements and a mandate for more than 50 per cent of the film’s content to be in a local language.
Committee chairperson Eddah Kiruhi said the film stood out for its originality, authentic performances, visual and sound elements, and focused narrative. She described it as an example of the creative talent and compelling stories emerging from Kenya.
Kiruhi also expressed confidence that its storytelling would connect with Academy voters and audiences internationally. The announcement makes the film Kenya’s submission for consideration in the category, rather than an Academy Award nominee.
Kenya Film Commission chief executive Timothy Owase praised the film’s treatment of social questions, including land, intellectual property rights, education, gender and cultural beliefs. He expressed optimism about its prospects as Kenya’s representative.
A fight for land and belonging
Set in the rural village of Sayit, the story follows Star, a 38-year-old unmarried woman who does not know her parentage. In a close-knit community where ancestry and family relationships help define belonging, her lack of known relatives leaves her on the margins.
That position becomes more precarious when the village starts distributing title deeds. To claim her home and land, Star must either establish a family connection or raise enough money to secure the property herself.
The search for a way to protect her home places her personal history at the centre of an immediate practical problem. Questions about where she comes from are tied directly to whether she can retain a place in the village.
A photograph unlocks questions about the past
While looking through a local shop, Star discovers a book about the Maasai that carries a childhood photograph of her on its cover. The unexpected image offers a link to a past she knows little about and prompts her to seek answers.
As she investigates her childhood, her questions generate friction within the community, exposing buried tensions and leading to confrontation.
The cast includes Sarah Karei, Irungu Mutu, Norng’aruani Kipuker, Amos Leuka, Boniface Saitabau and Davina Leonard.
With its selection, One Woman, One Bra takes a Kenyan story shaped by Maasai culture into the Academy Awards submission process, creating an opportunity to bring local performances, landscapes and storytelling to an international audience.
