The film, the ‘Memory of Princess Mumbi’, by Swedish-Kenyan film director Damien Hauser, will premiere at the ongoing Venice Film Festival, which opened on Wednesday, August 27.
Hauser’s fourth feature is an improvised sci-fi romance mockumentary that explores such themes as how to find meaning in a tragic world.
According to the synopsis, it follows the protagonist, an aspiring director by the name of Kuve in the year 2094.
“In 2094, aspiring director Kuve films a documentary on the Great War of the 2070s, which erased modern technology and revived kingdoms,” the synopsis reads. “Expecting to find despair in Umata, the heart of the war’s aftermath, he instead discovers a village that has found peace. There, he meets Mumbi, who shows him the beauty in everyday moments. ‘Memory of Princess Mumbi’ unfolds through Kuve’s old behind-the-scenes footage.”
Speaking about the inspiration behind the film, Damien Hauser said he wanted to preserve small but significant life moments.
“After losing my little brother, I revisited the footage I had recorded and realised that amidst the loss, there were also countless beautiful moments worth cherishing,” Hauser said. “ ‘In Memory of Princess Mumbi’, I wanted to preserve these kinds of moments, ones that might seem small but shape how we remember and understand life.”
The film is set to screen from August 28 to September 5 at the Venice Film Festival.
