Veve

Set against the backdrop of the Miraa trade, "Veve" tells the story of several people striving for love, wealth and retribution in a world of political intrigue. Amos, a ruthless local politician, runs for governor of the Maua region as he seeks to expand his empire at the expense of his business rival, Wadu. When his wife Esther discovers the true nature of his business dealings, she seeks solace with Kenzo, a bitter young man bent on revenge for his father's death. Sammy, Amos' right-hand man, vacillates between his loyalty to the job and being a caring father to his rebellious son, Kago. Meanwhile, Maua's farmers form a union to force Amos to finally pay fair prices for their Veve. Clint, a would-be documentary filmmaker, wants to help the farmers and ventures too far - blind to the danger he is maneuvering himself and others into. Anke Sterneborg wrote in epd Film: "Initially, the film follows the path of the cath leaves (a mild narcotic called 'veve' in slang) from the pickers and packers on the plantation via trucks and airplane to the capital Nairobi. At quite a few different points, he dovetails into the Kenyan daily lives of farmers, drug dealers and politicians, and it takes a while to get into the bustling, African life of Kenya, and even longer to see through the subliminal lines of connection until the documentary coalesces into a multilayered thriller about corruption and crime." "Veve" was made as part of the cultural development project "One Fine Day." "The films that result are a vibrantly authentic, poignant and stirring first-hand slice of Africa." (Sterneborg)