ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Wanuri Kahiu - Filmmaker, writer
Wanuri Kahiu wants to curate, commission and create art that celebrates fun, fierce and frivolous Africa.

Why you should listen

Born in Nairobi, TED Fellow Wanuri Kahiu is part of the new generation of African filmmakers. Her films have received international acclaim and have been screened in more than 100 film festivals around the world. To date, Kahiu has written and directed six films and is working on her second feature length film.

Kahiu's first feature film, From a Whisper, based on the real events surrounding the 1998 twin bombings of US Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, won Best Narrative Feature in 2010 at the Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles as well as five awards at the African Movie Academy Award, including Best Director and Best Screenplay.

In 2009 Wanuri produced TV documentary For Our Land about Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Professor Wangari Maathai for MNET, a pan-African cable station. In 2010, her short science fiction Pumzi premiered at Sundance and went on to win best short film at Cannes and the silver at Carthage Film Festival in Tunisia. Pumzi also earned Kahiu the Citta di Venezia 2010 award in Venice, Italy. She is currently in post production on her second feature film, Rafiki, as well as a feature length documentary Ger about UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Ger Duany.

More profile about the speaker
Wanuri Kahiu | Speaker | TED.com
TED2017

Wanuri Kahiu: Fun, fierce and fantastical African art

Vanuri Kahiju (Wanuri Kahiu): Zabavna, žestoka i bajkovita afrička umetnost

Filmed:
894,360 views

TED Fellow, Vanuri Kahiju, kaže da smo toliko navikli da su priče koje dolaze iz Afrike o ratu, siromaštvu i pustošenju. Gde je zabava? Ona predstavlja „Afričku žvakaću gumu“ - afričku umetnost koja je puna života, vesela i bez političke ideologije. Ponovo razmislite o vrednosti svega što je neozbiljno dok Kahiju objašnjava zašto nam je potrebna umetnost koja odražava pun spektar ljudskih iskustava da bi se ispričale priče o Africi.
- Filmmaker, writer
Wanuri Kahiu wants to curate, commission and create art that celebrates fun, fierce and frivolous Africa. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

Moja majka je pedijatar
00:12
So, my mother'sмајка a pediatricianпедијатар,
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i kada sam bila mala,
pričala bi mi najluđe priče
00:15
and when I was youngмлади,
she'dона би tell the craziestнајлуђе storiesприче
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koje su kombinovale nauku
sa njenom bujnom maštom.
00:19
that combinedкомбиновано scienceНаука
with her overactivehiperaktivnu imaginationмашту.
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Jedna od priča koju je pričala je bila
da ako jedemo mnogo soli,
00:23
One of the storiesприче she told
was that if you eatјести a lot of saltсо,
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00:27
all of the bloodкрв rushespožurila up your legsноге,
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sva krv navali uz noge,
kroz telo
00:31
throughкроз your bodyтело,
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i izbija do temena glave,
00:32
and shootsпуца out the topврх of your headглава,
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trenutno vas ubijajući.
00:34
killingубијање you instantlyодмах.
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00:36
(LaughterSmeh)
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(Smeh)
Zvala je to „visoki krvni pritisak“.
00:37
She calledпозвани it "highвисоко bloodкрв pressureпритисак."
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00:39
(LaughterSmeh)
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(Smeh)
00:41
This was my first experienceискуство
with scienceНаука fictionфикција,
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Bio je to moj prvi susret
sa naučnom fantastikom
i volela sam to.
00:44
and I lovedвољен it.
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Kada sam i sama počela da pišem
naučnu fantastiku i fantastiku,
00:45
So when I startedпочела to writeпиши
my ownвластити scienceНаука fictionфикција and fantasyфантазија,
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bila sam iznenađena da su moji radovi
bili smatrani neafričkim.
00:49
I was surprisedизненађени that it
was consideredразматрати un-AfricanUN afrički.
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00:52
So naturallyприродно, I askedпитао, what is AfricanAfrički?
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Naravno, zapitala sam se:
„Šta je afričko?“
I ovo sam do sada saznala -
00:54
And this is what I know so farдалеко:
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Afrika je važna.
00:57
AfricaAfrika is importantважно.
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Afrika je budućnost.
01:00
AfricaAfrika is the futureбудућност.
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Jeste, zaista.
01:01
It is, thoughипак.
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01:03
And AfricaAfrika is a seriousозбиљан placeместо
where only seriousозбиљан things happenдесити се.
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Afrika je ozbiljno mesto
gde se samo ozbiljne stvari dešavaju.
Kada negde predstavljam svoj rad,
neko će uvek pitati:
01:07
So when I presentпоклон my work somewhereнегде,
someoneнеко will always askпитати,
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„Šta je tako važno u tome?
01:12
"What's so importantважно about it?
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Kako se bavi stvarnim problemima u Africi
01:14
How does it dealдоговор with realправи AfricanAfrički issuesпитања
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kao što su rat, siromaštvo,
pustošenje ili sida?“
01:17
like warрат, povertyсиромаштво, devastationrazaranje or AIDSAIDS-A?"
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Ne bavi se.
01:22
And it doesn't.
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Moj rad je o pop grupama iz Najrobija
koje žele da idu u svemir
01:24
My work is about NairobiNairobi popПоп bandsбендови
that want to go to spaceпростор
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ili o robotima dvometrašima
01:29
or about seven-foot-tallsedam metara visokim robotsроботи
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koji se zaljubljuju.
01:32
that fallпасти in love.
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01:34
It's nothing incrediblyневероватно importantважно.
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Nije to ništa neverovatno važno.
Samo je zabavno, žestoko i neozbiljno,
01:37
It's just funзабавно, fierceжестоко and frivolousneozbiljne,
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neozbiljno kao žvakaća guma -
01:41
as frivolousneozbiljne as bubbleмехур gumguma --
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„Afrička žvakaća guma“.
01:43
"AfroBubbleGumAfroBubbleGum."
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Ne kažem da ideološka umetnost nije važna;
01:46
So I'm not sayingговорећи that
agendaдневни ред artуметност isn't importantважно;
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predsednik sam humanitarne organizacije
01:49
I'm the chairpersonpredsedavajuжa of a charityдобротворне сврхе
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koja se bavi filmovima i pozorišnim delima
01:52
that dealsдоговори with filmsфилмова and theatersпозоришта
that writeпиши about HIVHIV-A and radicalizationradicalization
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koja govore o sidi, radikalizaciji
01:58
and femaleзенски пол genitalгенитал mutilationмутилација.
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i unakažavanju ženskih genitalija.
To je bitna i značajna umetnost,
02:01
It's vitalвитално and importantважно artуметност,
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02:03
but it cannotне може be the only artуметност
that comesдолази out of the continentконтинент.
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ali to ne može biti jedina umetnost
koja dolazi sa kontinenta.
Moramo ispričati više priča
02:08
We have to tell more storiesприче
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koje su pune života.
02:10
that are vibrantживахан.
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02:13
The dangerопасност of the singleједно storyприча
is still beingбиће realizedреализован.
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Opasnost samo jedne priče
se još uvek sagledava.
Možda je to zbog finansiranja.
02:18
And maybe it's because of the fundingфинансирање.
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Mnogo umetnosti još uvek zavisi
od pomoći za razvoj,
02:19
A lot of artуметност is still dependentзависни
on developmentalrazvojni aidпомоћ.
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tako da umetnost postaje
oruđe za ideologiju.
02:23
So artуметност becomesпостаје a toolоруђе for agendaдневни ред.
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Ili je to možda zato što toliko dugo
viđamo samo jednu sliku sebe
02:27
Or maybe it's because we'veми смо only seenвиђено
one imageслика of ourselvesсами for so long
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da je to sve što znamo da stvorimo.
02:32
that that's all we know how to createстворити.
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Koji god da je razlog,
treba nam novi način,
02:34
WhateverKako god the reasonразлог, we need a newново way,
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a „Afrička žvakaća guma“ je jedan pristup.
02:38
and AfroBubbleGumAfroBubbleGum is one approachприступ.
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To je zalaganje za umetnost
radi umetnosti.
02:40
It's the advocacyадвокатура of artуметност for art'sdel Arte sakeсаке.
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To je zalaganje za umetnost
koja nije vođena politikom,
02:44
It's the advocacyадвокатура of artуметност
that is not policy-drivenzasnovanih na politiku
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ni ideologijom,
02:47
or agenda-drivenzasnovanih na dnevnom redu
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niti je zasnovana na obrazovanju,
02:49
or basedзаснован on educationобразовање,
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02:51
just for the sakeсаке of imaginationмашту:
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već postoji samo zbog mašte -
umetnost „Afrička žvakaća guma“.
02:54
AfroBubbleGumAfroBubbleGum artуметност.
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Ne možemo svi biti
umetnici „Afričke žvakaće gume“.
02:56
And we can't all be AfroBubbleGumistsAfroBubbleGumists.
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Moramo da procenimo naš rad za moguće
zamke korišćenja u promotivne svrhe.
02:59
We have to judgeсудија our work
for its potentialпотенцијал povertyсиромаштво pornporno pitfallszamke.
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Moramo imati testove
slične Bekdelovom testu
03:03
We have to have testsтестови
that are similarслично to the BechdelBechdel testтест,
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[Makar dve žene koje pričaju
o nečem drugom osim o muškarcu.]
i postaviti pitanja kao što su:
03:09
and askпитати questionsпитања like:
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Da li su dva ili više Afrikanca
u ovom književnom delu zdrava?
03:11
Are two or more AfricansAfrikanci
in this pieceпиеце of fictionфикција healthyздрав?
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Da li su ta dva ista Afrikanca
finansijski dobrostojeća
03:17
Are those sameисти AfricansAfrikanci financiallyфинансијски stableстабилна
and not in need of savingуштеда?
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i bez potrebe da im se pruži pomoć?
Da li se zabavljaju i uživaju u životu?
03:23
Are they havingимати funзабавно and enjoyingуживајући life?
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Ako možete odgovoriti sa „da“
na dva ili više od ovih pitanja,
03:26
And if we can answerодговор yes
to two or more of these questionsпитања,
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onda ste zasigurno umetnik
„Afričke žvakaće gume“.
03:29
then surelyсигурно we're AfroBubbleGumistsAfroBubbleGumists.
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03:32
(LaughterSmeh)
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(Smeh)
(Aplauz)
03:33
(ApplauseAplauz)
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Zabava je politička,
03:38
And funзабавно is politicalполитички,
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jer zamislite ako bismo imali
slike Afrikanaca koji su puni života,
03:40
because imagineзамислити if we have
imagesслике of AfricansAfrikanci who were vibrantживахан
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nežni, uspešni
03:44
and lovingљубави and thrivingrasteći
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i koji žive lep i ispunjen život.
03:46
and livingживи a beautifulЛепа, vibrantживахан life.
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Šta bismo tada mislili o nama samima?
03:49
What would we think of ourselvesсами then?
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Da li bismo mislili
da možda zaslužujemo više sreće?
03:51
Would we think that maybe
we're worthyдостојан of more happinessсрећа?
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Da li bismo mislili
o zajedničkoj humanosti
03:54
Would we think of our sharedдељени humanityчовечанство
throughкроз our sharedдељени joyрадост?
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kroz zajedničku radost?
Ja mislim o ovim stvarima kada stvaram.
03:59
I think of these things when I createстворити.
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Mislim na ljude i mesta
koja mi daju neizmernu radost
04:01
I think of the people and the placesместа
that give me immeasurablenemerljivu joyрадост,
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i radim da ih predstavim.
04:05
and I work to representзаступати them.
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I zato pišem priče
04:07
And that's why I writeпиши storiesприче
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o devojčicama iz budućnosti
koje rizikuju sve da spasu biljke,
04:08
about futuristicфутуристички girlsдевојке that riskризик
everything to saveсачувати plantsбиљке
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ili da organizuju trke kamila,
04:13
or to raceтрка camelskamile
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ili samo da plešu,
04:15
or even just to danceплес,
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da odaju čast zabavi,
04:18
to honorчаст funзабавно,
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jer moj svet je uglavnom srećan.
04:19
because my worldсвет is mostlyуглавном happyсрећан.
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Znam da je sreća privilegija
u sadašnjem podeljenom svetu,
04:21
And I know happinessсрећа is a privilegeпривилегија
in this currentТренутни splinteredrasturio worldсвет
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gde je marljivost neophodna
da bismo i dalje održali nadu.
04:25
where remainingпреостало hopefulнадам се
requiresзахтева diligencemarljivost.
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Ali možda, ako mi se pridružite
u stvaranju, predstavljanju i naručivanju
04:31
But maybe, if you joinпридружити me
in creatingстварање, curatingkustos and commissioningpuštanje u rad
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više umetničkih dela
„Afričke žvakaće gume“,
04:36
more AfroBubbleGumAfroBubbleGum artуметност,
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možda će postojati nada
za drugačiji pogled na svet,
04:38
there mightМожда be hopeнадати се
for a differentразличит viewпоглед of the worldсвет,
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pogled na srećnu Afriku,
04:41
a happyсрећан AfricaAfrika viewпоглед
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gde su deca čudno traumatizovana
04:43
where childrenдеца are strangelycudno traumatizedtraumatizovan
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crnim smislom za humor svojih majki,
04:45
by theirњихова mother'sмајка darkтамно senseсмисао of humorхумор,
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04:47
(LaughterSmeh)
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(Smeh)
ali ona takođe polažu pravo
na zabavnu, žestoku i besmislenu umetnost
04:48
but alsoтакође they're claimingтврдећи funзабавно,
fierceжестоко and frivolousneozbiljne artуметност
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u ime svih neozbiljno afričkih stvari.
04:53
in the nameиме of all things
unseriouslyunseriously AfricanAfrički.
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Zato što smo umetnici
„Afričke žvakaće gume“
04:58
Because we're AfroBubbleGumistsAfroBubbleGumists
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i ima nas mnogo više
nego što možete da zamislite.
05:00
and there's so manyмноги more of us
than you can imagineзамислити.
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Hvala vam puno.
05:04
Thank you so much.
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05:05
(ApplauseAplauz)
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(Aplauz)
Translated by Mirjana Čutura
Reviewed by Tijana Mihajlović

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Wanuri Kahiu - Filmmaker, writer
Wanuri Kahiu wants to curate, commission and create art that celebrates fun, fierce and frivolous Africa.

Why you should listen

Born in Nairobi, TED Fellow Wanuri Kahiu is part of the new generation of African filmmakers. Her films have received international acclaim and have been screened in more than 100 film festivals around the world. To date, Kahiu has written and directed six films and is working on her second feature length film.

Kahiu's first feature film, From a Whisper, based on the real events surrounding the 1998 twin bombings of US Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, won Best Narrative Feature in 2010 at the Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles as well as five awards at the African Movie Academy Award, including Best Director and Best Screenplay.

In 2009 Wanuri produced TV documentary For Our Land about Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Professor Wangari Maathai for MNET, a pan-African cable station. In 2010, her short science fiction Pumzi premiered at Sundance and went on to win best short film at Cannes and the silver at Carthage Film Festival in Tunisia. Pumzi also earned Kahiu the Citta di Venezia 2010 award in Venice, Italy. She is currently in post production on her second feature film, Rafiki, as well as a feature length documentary Ger about UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Ger Duany.

More profile about the speaker
Wanuri Kahiu | Speaker | TED.com