Kenyan-Nigerian film ‘One Woman, One Bra’ to premiere in Nairobi cinemas

The Kenyan premiere of the Nigerian film ‘One Woman, One Bra’ is set to take place at Prestige and Diamond cinemas on September 11. Directed by Vincho Nchogu, the micro-budget feature, developed through Biennale College Cinema, has garnered international recognition as it is one of four selected features for the 2025 Venice Film Festival.

Notably, it marks the first Nigerian-produced film to premiere at Venice, a significant achievement for producer Josh Olaolu and his company, Conceptified Media. Olaolu expressed surprise at the film's distribution in Kenyan cinemas, stating that a few years ago, such a prospect would have seemed improbable. The film’s narrative revolves around a 38-year-old woman named Star, who struggles to claim her home due to the absence of legal kinship ties.

Complicating matters further, Star is an unmarried orphan whose identity is tested when a childhood photo suggests that a local food vendor could be her long-lost mother. This quest for self-identity intersects with Star's desperate efforts to retain her land, prompting her to consider various unconventional solutions. At the Venice premiere, director Nchogu aimed to highlight the concept of womanhood beyond traditional societal roles, questioning whether a woman can stand alone without being a mother, wife, or daughter, or whether she can simply be defined by her name alone.

The film has been well-received, screening at international festivals in Italy and South Korea and winning the Sutherland Award for Best First Feature at the BFI London Film Festival.