John
Kiriamiti is the only Kenyan ex-convict who can claim that his
notoriety will be immortalized on the big screen. His bestselling novel
“My Life in Crime” is being adapted into a bonafide blockbuster. The
Kenyan classic vividly explains his experiences as a Murang’a bad 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”.
Kirina Productions secured the rights to the film, which
has a $4 million (KES 348 million) budget, making it the biggest one a
Kenyan film has had to date. “When I was reading I could see the shots, I
could see the actors, I could see the sets,” said the film’s producer
Janet Kirina while at a press conference
earlier on in the year. Janet also doubles up as an actress in the
movie directed by Neil Schell who confirmed that its script (by Serah
Mwihaki and Loyce Kareri) is complete. Neil said, “The seventh draft
took around two years and I was very particular about the script.”
The film’s lead role was clinched by Nollywood phenomenon Jim Iyke
, who will star as John Kiriamiti. “He crossed all bridges to make it
happen. He is busy trying to polish the accent and is working on it
hard,” the film’s executive producer
Lucy Chodota expounds on the Nigerian’s huge task of enacting 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 early criticism
from a section of local film buffs. Other cast members of this highly
anticipated film include: Abubakar Mwenda, Melvin Alusa, Ainea Ojiambo,
Jeff Koinange and Lenana Kariba.
“It’s not just a Kenyan film.
It’s a strong film and we are aiming for an international audience. It
[will also] create a lot of local employment,”
Chodota emphasizes. This movie could challenge Kenyans (both locals and
film professionals) further, to see the film industry as a worthwhile
business venture that allows for global competition while at the same
time satisfying consumers.
For more information on the preproduction of the film, log onto the Facebook group: My Life in Crime the Movie.
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