With an intimate home-video style, I AM SAMUEL is a sensitive reflection on the struggle between tradition and the true self. Filmed over five years, director Peter Murimi documents the life of Samuel, a young gay man originating from a small farm in rural Kenya. When Samuel moves to Nairobi, he meets his soulmate, Alex, and the pair begin a life together in the city. However, while building this new life, Samuel cannot let go of the loyalty he feels towards his loving family, even if he knows they will reject him once they find out who he really is.
Murimi’s inconspicuous filming approach suits the topic of his documentary perfectly. By limiting his on-screen involvement, he has created a genuine account of life as a gay man within Kenya, which never seems superficial and forced. Emotional manipulation is absent within I AM SAMUEL, and though the film is certainly moving, this effect comes purely from the documentation of Samuel and Alex’s life, rather than any external influence from Murimi. Clearly comfortable with his subjects, Murimi simply follows their lives, allowing their existence alone to form the basis of his film.
Despite the film’s title, Murimi frequently focuses upon the wider gay community within Nairobi, highlighting the way that Samuel’s struggles are far from unique. Through his move to the city and subsequent discovery of the internet, Samuel develops a close network of queer friends, all with similar stories to his. In a narrative which would be easy to turn into a tale of pure loneliness, this creative choice ensures that the film shows the multifaceted nature of Samuel’s existence. Within this queer community, individuals can laugh and joke about the rejection they have experienced in their family unit. Regardless of his inability to be his true self around his parents, Samuel has formed a second family; something which is often integral to the queer experience.
Alongside these friendships, Samuel also has a healthy relationship with his biological family in rural Kenya, despite being closeted. Murimi contrasts this sharply with Samuel’s new life in Nairobi, from the bustling modern city to the quiet traditional countryside; from the grey of the urban to the bright colours of the farm. Still, Samuel finds love in both places. For all his struggles, Samuel had a happy upbringing, and he continues to visit his parents frequently. His father, Redon, proudly shows off his baby pictures and, later, builds him his own house on the family farm. His mother, Rebecca, inspired Samuel’s lifelong love of netball. The loving relationship Samuel has with his parents makes their rejection of his homosexuality even harder; he is incapable of walking away from the two people who have shaped his life the most.
As another key part of Samuel’s sense of self, Murimi documents the deep religious traditions of the rural Kenyan community. In the blessing of a new home, a mass baptism and passionate sermons on faithfulness, Christianity is ever-present in Samuel’s life. Whilst linked to the homophobia that he experiences, Samuel never forsakes his faith; he and his group of friends make a point of their belief in God. Whilst they have partially moved on from their families, the impact of their upbringing remains, illustrating once more the duality of their existence.
Although I AM SAMUEL focuses on ideas of individual strength, the film also explores the relationship between Samuel and Alex. Quietly romantic, the tale of their love peaks at a party for their first anniversary, where the viewer finally witnesses the pair kiss, surrounded by their elated friends. Returning to his familial home, Samuel must hide this part of himself, but his closeness to Alex is still retained – Rebecca describes them as being “like twins’, as they are always together. She may not understand Alex’s true role in her son’s life, but he nonetheless has a role in his boyfriend’s family, a bittersweet reminder of what could have been.
I AM SAMUEL screens at BFI London Film Festival online on Saturday 10th October.