Nathan Collett is a

filmmaker Filmmaking or film production is the process by which a Film, motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, beginning with an initial story, idea, or commission. Production then continues through screen ...

based in

Nairobi Nairobi is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Kenya. The city lies in the south-central part of Kenya, at an elevation of . The name is derived from the Maasai language, Maasai phrase , which translates to 'place of cool waters', a ...

Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...

Film career

Overview

Collett's work focuses on those on the margins of society as well as on environmental issues. He has filmed across the world, including location footage in

Somalia Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is the easternmost country in continental Africa. The country is located in the Horn of Africa and is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, th ...

and

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...

. He works both in fictional films and on documentaries, with a specific focus on

Kibera Kibera (Kinubi language, Kinubi: ''Forest'' or ''Jungle'') is a division and neighbourhood of Nairobi, Kenya, from the city centre. Kibera is the largest slum in Nairobi, and also the largest urban slum in all of Africa. The 2009 Kenya Popul ...

in Kenya, Africa's largest shantytown. He is a co-owner of Hot Sun Films, a film/video production and training company. One of Hot Sun Films' projects is the Hot Sun Foundation, a non-profit organization. The organization gives training to the youth of Kibera in film and video, and also started the first film school for local youngsters.
Ukwelii

Films

''The Oath''

''The Oath'' is a 2005 in film, 2005 short

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

written by Collett and Njuguna Wakanyote. Set in 1950s Kenya during the

Mau Mau uprising The Mau Mau rebellion (1952–1960), also known as the Mau Mau uprising, Mau Mau revolt, or Kenya Emergency, was a war in the British Kenya Colony (1920–1963) between the Kenya Land and Freedom Army (KLFA), also known as the Mau Mau, and the ...

under

British colonialism The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts establish ...

, the film portrays the struggle between two brothers on opposite sides of the conflict.

''Kibera Kid''

'' Kibera Kid'' is a short film set in the

slums in Nairobi, Kenya. It was written, directed and co-produced by Collett in collaboration with local people in Kibera.

''Charcoal Traffic''

In 2008, Collett directed the short film '' Charcoal Traffic'', which was written by and co-produced with the Somali environmentalist Fatima Jibrell. The film was shot on location in Somalia, and employs a fictional storyline to educate the public about the ecological damage that charcoal production can create.Fatima Jibrell - Goldman Prize

''Togetherness Supreme''

In April 2009, Collett shot his first feature film ''Togetherness Supreme'', in collaboration with the local community in front and behind the camera. It is the follow-up to ''Kibera Kid'' and was shot on the Red One camera, the first time the camera was used in Kibera to shoot a feature film. The film is set in Kibera, and focusing on tribal tensions and the possibilities of reconciliation in Africa's largest shantytown. ''Togetherness Supreme'' was first shown to the community in Kibera where over 3,000 people turned up for one screening, and over 26,000 people watched it in the community. The film has been dubbed "Slumdog without the Millionaires" by the

Vancouver International Film Festival The Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) is an annual film festival held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, for two weeks in late September and early October. The festival is operated by the Greater Vancouver International Film Festi ...

, in reference to the 2008 movie ''

Slumdog Millionaire ''Slumdog Millionaire'' is a 2008 British drama film that is a loose adaptation of the novel '' Q & A'' (2005) by Indian author Vikas Swarup. It narrates the story of 18-year-old Jamal Malik from the Juhu slums of Mumbai. Starring Dev Patel ...

''. ''Togetherness Supreme'' tells a community-based authentic story of love, conflict and reconciliation in the midst of ethnic and political violence.

Awards

Collett won multiple awards for the short film ''Kibera Kid''. ''Togetherness Supreme'' also won 'Best International Film' at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival 2011, which was the US premiere of the film. Togetherness Supreme also won the Global Landscapes Award at Cinequest film festival 2011

Filmography

Collett's films as a director include:Refram - Nathan Collett
/ref> * ''Togetherness Supreme'' (2010) * '' Charcoal Traffic'' (2008) * ''Chronic in Kenya'' (2007) * ''Sex to Survive'' (2007) * '' Kibera Kid'' (2006) * ''The Oath'' (2005)

References

External links

*
Article on community based approach / Togetherness Supreme

News article on Togetherness Supreme

Kibera Kid
;Video sites
Chronic in Kenya Short Documentary

Sex To Survive Short Documentary

link to Togetherness Supreme Trailer Vimeo

The Oath Trailer on YouTube

TV News Report on Kibera Kid, Nathan Collett

Kibera Kid Trailer

Charcoal Traffic Trailer
{{DEFAULTSORT:Collett, Nathan Kenyan film directors Living people Year of birth missing (living people)