All that matters: Betty Kathungu-Fure speaks about her journey in Kenya’s film industry
By Mwangi Alberto, March 1, 2022
How did you develop an interest in filmmaking?
I have always had a love for stories. When I was a child, my dad Cosmas Kathungu, who I consider my dearest friend and greatest teacher, used to read to me African Writers Series books by writers such as Chinua Achebe, Elechi Amadi, Wole Soyinka, Meja Mwangi, Joe De Graft, David Mulwa, Ngugi Wa Thiong’o and Francis Imbuga. He would read and do the voices, kind of like performing all the characters. He would keep the books away, so I don’t read on my own; I had to wait for him to continue reading for me. It is one of the fondest memories of my childhood. My love for stories and performance was born then. I obviously joined drama clubs in primary and secondary schools, and after high school, I went to the Kenya National Theatre to be an actor. I discovered then that I actually liked the process of putting together a production more than performing in one. After a few years of trying out acting (I wasn’t very good at it, to be honest), I decided to train in production, to be the creator and the one who makes the drama happen as opposed to performing, and I did a diploma at Andrew Crawford School of Media.
How did you develop an interest in filmmaking?
I have always had a love for stories. When I was a child, my dad Cosmas Kathungu, who I consider my dearest friend and greatest teacher, used to read to me African Writers Series books by writers such as Chinua Achebe, Elechi Amadi, Wole Soyinka, Meja Mwangi, Joe De Graft, David Mulwa, Ngugi Wa Thiong’o and Francis Imbuga. He would read and do the voices, kind of like performing all the characters. He would keep the books away, so I don’t read on my own; I had to wait for him to continue reading for me. It is one of the fondest memories of my childhood. My love for stories and performance was born then. I obviously joined drama clubs in primary and secondary schools, and after high school, I went to the Kenya National Theatre to be an actor. I discovered then that I actually liked the process of putting together a production more than performing in one. After a few years of trying out acting (I wasn’t very good at it, to be honest), I decided to train in production, to be the creator and the one who makes the drama happen as opposed to performing, and I did a diploma at Andrew Crawford School of Media. I set up my company in 2005 and 17 years later, here we are.
How did you start and how was the experience?
My experience has been tough, but fulfilling. I have produced two TV shows, two short films, many documentaries for various clients and seven feature films. It’s a good body of work I believe, but it has been a real struggle to make this content. Despite the temptation to quote finances as the main challenge, I believe my greatest challenges have been learning how to be a good producer; learning the skills that make a producer good and efficient. I mostly learned through trial and error; I made terrible mistakes at the beginning that cost me a bundle and spoilt the quality of my work and tried to avoid them in subsequent productions. It is a tedious and slow learning process. I often wished I had the opportunity to attend school abroad or work in big productions that are great training grounds, but I never got the chance. My lessons are learned over 17 years of making my shows and films. I have now settled to be a fiction filmmaker and a documentarist, and I’m satisfied here. The other challenge is distribution, and I’m constantly learning from my friends and colleagues on how to go about monetising our content, and the future seems bright.
Which was your first film?
I created my first feature Wangai’s Cross in 2005, which was written by Nash Nderitu and directed by Gitura Kamau. It was actually my final project for film school, and it came out well enough that I sold it to Mnet, Zuku, KTN, TV 1 in Tanzania and K24 TV.
What other roles did you try your hand in before settling on producing?
I have made it a point to learn all the skills in production. I started as an actor, but I didn’t like it very much. I went to school and learned to be a producer. Since then, I have been an apprentice writer and have written several episodes in some of my shows. I have interned in the production design departments in my shows and films, trained as a sound recordist, and I’m good at that. I have also tried my hand at directing, which I believe is the hardest job in the world. Ultimately, I love being a producer and I’ll stick to it. I do sound when I’m on a documentary shoot.
What are some of your other works?
Kizingo (2016), Family Meeting (2019) and Medicine Man (2021). Combined, these films have had over 40 nominations in competitions and festivals and won over 20 awards.
What was the inspiration behind Medicine Man?
The film explores the relationships between modern medicine, herbal medicine and “African Science”—sometimes called witchcraft. It was inspired during a visit to my home town in Runyenjes, Embu, where I was told unbelievable stories about witchcraft and herbal medicine and my interest was sparked.
Why did you settle on Kiambu?
Mother tongue is beautiful, and to be honest, some nuances can only be expressed in it. I believe it’s time we claimed our world space by telling stories in our local languages. The Far East, French, Italians and Latinos have done it, and this content is consumed the world over. Bong Joon-Hu who made Parasite, an Oscar-winner for Best Film said, “Once you overcome the one-inch tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films.” I highly doubt that I will make another film in English for the rest of my career. I will do any other African language, Kiswahili as well, before I do a film in English.
Do you think the Kenyan film industry is headed the right way?
I believe we are heading in the right direction. A word of caution though is that; producers should seek better education on how to sell films for maximum advantage before committing to a sale. As much as Subscription Video On Demands (SVODs) are good for one reason or another, we need to be sure there are no other avenues to make money off your content, especially in the first year of release, before committing to a giant VOD. My Movies Africa advises producers on various ways of monetising content all the way from cinema within three months of release, then Transactional VOD (TVOD), to SVOD, to TV sales, and they walk the journey with you for as long as you need them.
What next for you after Medicine Man?
I have three films in various stages of development, and I’m certain I’ll be on location again soon and release my eighth feature in 2023.
Your final word…
Let’s keep creating. My mantra is #KenyanContentForInternationalMarkets and I will live up to that!