Rafiki

Play trailer

1:51

Rafiki

2019

1h 23m

Drama

Romance

LGBTQ+

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

94%

Tomatometer

80 Reviews

72%

Popcornmeter

50+ Ratings

Kena and Ziki live very different lives in Nairobi. Kena works in her father's shop and awaits the start of nursing school, while Ziki passes the days hanging out with her friends and making up dance routines. Their paths cross when their fathers run against each other for seats in the County Assembly, and they find themselves drawn to each other. Soon their interest grows to affection and the girls find ways to love each other despite the ever-watching gaze of the neighborhood.

Watch on Fandango

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Rafiki tells a familiar story with bracing originality, marking director/co-writer Wanuri Kahiu as a talent to watch.

Read Critics Reviews

Claudia Puig

FilmWeek (LAist)

09/28/2019

I really like this film and I think [director] Wanuri Kahiu is definitely someone to watch.

Go to Full Review

Adam Graham

Detroit News

05/24/2019

B

It's a film that is rushing with energy and life.

Go to Full Review

Justin Chang

Los Angeles Times

05/09/2019

But to merely describe what happens in "Rafiki" would be to overlook its transporting sense of place, its striking visual pleasures and its credible and moving performances.

Go to Full Review

Marya E. Gates

Cool People Have Feelings, Too. (Substack)

02/12/2024

Featuring electric performances from its two leads, Kahiu’s film is a vibrant tribute to the power of love and the strength of those who must fight to express it.

Go to Full Review

KT Mahe

For Your Reference Podcast

10/09/2023

4.5/5

What Rafiki has done and will continue to do to in the cinematic landscape of Queer cinema is something that cannot be watered down in any aspect.

Go to Full Review

Oti

For Your Reference Podcast

10/09/2023

5/5

We get to experience what it's like for the Queer community in Kenya. Not being recognised, the stigma that follows and what it would do to young people trying to navigate their way of experiencing love.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Josh K

@RT91372129 02/10/2025

Powerful, beautiful, heartbreaking. This forbidden love story is beautifully filmed and scripted. I love the parent-child drama and the real-ness of the scripting. what a film!

See more

08/11/2020

I absolutely loved the movie. I would definitely give a rewatch. The colors and the soundtrack absolutely immaculate.

See more

01/03/2020

Very few films capture the human spirit as vividly or as painfully as Rafiki does. Every aspect of the film is an achievement of it's own, whether it be the smart usage of color, background visuals to highlight how characters feel, or even just the heart breaking story it follows. Rafiki had me hooked for every second it was on. By the end, I was spun around by so many emotions, I had no idea how to feel. Angry, sad, and oddly enough hopeful. This is a movie that made my heart cry and sing. What an awesome and timely film; watch it!

See more

12/11/2019

Beautifully made film with great acting talent on what is a somewhat standard story but significant for its country of origin.

See more

11/06/2019

Bright and colourful, but bland story.

See more

10/14/2019

Along with a pulsating soundtrack that perfectly captures the East African sense of place, Rafiki is a visually stunning film that is timely, relevant, and beautifully Kenyan.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Wanuri Kahiu

Director

Samantha Mugatsia

Kena

Sheila Munyiva

Ziki

Jimmi Gathu

John Mwaura

Nini Wacera

Mercy

Dennis Musyoka

Peter Okemi

Disobedience

84%

75%

Disobedience

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Disobedience

Princess Cyd

96%

78%

Princess Cyd

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Princess Cyd

Call Me by Your Name

95%

86%

Call Me by Your Name

Watchlist

Summertime

91%

72%

Summertime

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Rafiki: Trailer 1

1:51

Rafiki: TIFF Trailer

1:50

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

Kena and Ziki live very different lives in Nairobi. Kena works in her father's shop and awaits the start of nursing school, while Ziki passes the days hanging out with her friends and making up dance routines. Their paths cross when their fathers run against each other for seats in the County Assembly, and they find themselves drawn to each other. Soon their interest grows to affection and the girls find ways to love each other despite the ever-watching gaze of the neighborhood.

Director: Wanuri Kahiu
Producer: Steven Markovitz, Tamsin Ranger, Wanuri Kahiu
Screenwriter: Wanuri Kahiu, Jenna Cato Bass
Distributor: Film Movement
Production Co: Schortcut Films, Ape&Bjørn AS, Razor Film Produktion GmbH, MPM Film, Afro Bubble Gum production, Big World Cinema, Rinkel Film
Genre: Drama, Romance, LGBTQ+
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 19, 2019, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 13, 2019
Box Office (Gross USA): $137.2K
Runtime: 1h 23m