BY EMBUKANE VINCENT LIBOSSO AND JOSEPHINE OPAR
A
ugust’s issue of Up Magazine was all about “The Film Issue” and Josephine Opar did a great
piece on a Kenyan literary classic going blockbuster. Well I had the chance to meet her in
person at an art exhibition last week but that is a story surely for another day.
John Kiriamiti is the only Kenyan ex-convict who can claim that his notoriety will be
immortalized on the big screen. His best-selling story| novel “My Life in Crime” is being
adapted into a bonafide block-buster.
The Kenyan classic vividly explains his experiences as a Murang’a boy who eventually got
locked up and was followed by equally successful sequels with the books: “My Life with a
Criminal” and “My Life in Prison.”
Film aficionados in Kenya are eager for the film; after Kirina Productions secured the rights to
the film- which has a $ 4 million (KES 348 Million) budget. This (the budget) makes a record
breaking and makes it the biggest one a Kenyan film has had to date.
The film producer; Janet Kirina also doubles up as an actress in the movie whose director Neil
Schell confirmed that its script; by Serah Mwihaki and Loyce Kareni is indeed ready.
A section of local film buffs have in the past criticized the fact that the film’s lead role was
clinched by Nollywood’s phenomenon Iyke Turner- who will be starring as John Kiriamiti. The
Nigerian has a huge task (which, he is busy trying to polish the accent) to enact a Kikuyu man.
“I auditioned like every actor is supposed to. And even then, I was not guaranteed the role;”
said Turner in defense to his critics.
Other cast members of this highly-anticipated film include: Abubakar Mwenda, Melvin Alusa,
Ainea Ojiambo, Jeff koinange, and Lenana Kariba.
-join the discussion on Facebook: Up Magazine or for more info on the pre-production of the
film; then log onto the Facebook page: My Life in Crime the Movie.
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