By Maryanne W. WAWERU l maryanne@mummytales.com
An uncircumcised woman smells.
An uncircumcised woman is a prostitute.
An uncircumcised woman cannot be married.
An uncircumcised woman cannot be helped during childbirth.
Those are some of the words spoken by, of, and among Maasai women, as depicted and clearly articulated in the feature film, Sarah.
Last Sunday 9 March 2025, I got to watch the film, Sarah. Sarah is a feature film shot in the heart of the Maa community in the Loita hills.
In this movie, we meet a young school-going Maasai girl, Sarah (played by Namurru Sarara). Though she doesn’t seem to concentrate much on her studies, she nevertheless loves school. And is determined to get an education. However, her traditional Maasai culture and the pressures of a long drought brought about by climate change are about to change her life.
A very tantalizing dowry offer from an old man ‘who stinks’ means that her family must choose between having her undergo the traditional circumcision ritual (female genital mutilation -FGM) and get married to the stinky old man, or miss a rare chance to rebuild their already dwindled wealth. Her father needs the money. He is keen on following traditional maasai culture.
Her mother, however, is not too certain. She risks losing her marriage if she goes against her husband’s wishes. Marriage to her, just like to many other Maasai women in her community, is everything.
The conversations by the characters are rich. We get insights into the thoughts of school-going girls about circumcision. We hear from those who have been circumcised and those who haven’t. They share their reasons about why they are for or against. Very detailed conversations.
The older women too. The mothers, the aunts and the grandmothers. We learn about why some of them strongly support FGM. Others are in the grey area. Others are completely opposed to it.
The morans and all other men as well. We get to learn from their own intimate conversations –what they think about the changing practice of circumcision in their community, and the alternative rite of passage that is gradually being embraced by families. Are the traditional Maasai cultures fading away? Is this something they should be deeply worried about?
By the way, the movie is delivered purely in the Maa language, with English subtitles. And it features a completely amateur cast who execute the assignment quite well. I absolutely loved how seriously each character played their role, especially Namurru Sarara -the lead character.
If you have worked in the NGO world interacting with grassroots communities for years like I have, then the conversations in this film are nothing new. However, it’s still good to see them produced in a well-shot and edited film like this. The film definitely sounds and feels NGO-ish. As you watch the film, you’ll get the feel that it is sponsored, that it is donor funded. Which I believe it is.
There are no surprises in this film. The Maasai story of FGM vs embracing ‘alternative rites of passage’ has been told over and over again. So if you’d like to re-learn about traditional African cultures and the dilemma that communities such as the Maa face in light of ‘modernity’, then watch Sarah.
The film would make for good screenings at the community levels. Not just targeting the Maasai people, but all communities across Kenya and beyond. There are interesting insights to learn from the themes in it.
The film, by the way, is based on the true story of Sarah Tenoi.
Catch it at Prestige Cinema, Ngong rd, Nairobi. Showing until Thursday 13 March 2025.
Also read: Mothers in rural Kajiado to benefit from new hospital -the Chief Ole Mpaa Health Centre
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