A documentary that confronts the long shadow of colonial land dispossession will make its world premiere at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, which begins on January 22.
“Kikuyu Land”, directed by journalist Bea Wangondu and cinematographer Andrew Brown, will screen in the World Cinema Documentary Competition, one of Sundance’s most prominent sections. On the jury of this year’s World Cinema Documentary Competition is award-winning producer, Toni Kamau.
The film traces a contemporary land dispute in Kenya involving local communities, county authorities and a multinational corporation, while steadily peeling back layers of history that continue to shape present-day land disputes.
For Wangondu, the story is rooted in memory and bolstered by her own investigation into the matter.
“I grew up hearing stories in my Kikuyu community, often shared quietly about land that was taken and promises that were broken,” she says. “This film is about uncovering things that weren’t said.”
Her inquiry into the dispute leads beyond official records and courtrooms, drawing on her own family narratives and silences passed down across generations.
What begins as a journalistic examination evolves into a personal reckoning, revealing how colonial land policies continue to reverberate through individual lives and entire communities. The documentary highlights the stories of tea workers, activists and residents whose claims to ancestral land remain contested decades after independence.
Brown describes “Kikuyu Land” as a broader call to reflection.
“Our film is an invitation for audiences to take a look at the legacies of colonialism,” he says, situating the Kenyan experience within a global conversation about power, memory and justice.
The film, produced by Moses Bwayo alongside co-producers Mike Morrisroe and Joseph Njenga, will open on location in Salt Lake City on January 25 and online from January 29.
