If Objects Could Speak

Portfolio

If Objects Could Speak

STORY

Two filmmakers from Kenya and Germany embark on a journey to find out more about a mysterious Kenyan object: The only available data is that it came to the Lindenmuseum in Stuttgart, Germany in the year 1903 … But why don’t the museums know more about it? Seems like this is pretty common in Europe – there are plenty of objects hidden in the dark storages of European museums without even being shown in an exhibition.

The German-Kenyan film crew wanted to find out more about this wooden object: Do people back in Kenya remember what it was once made for? And what does it mean to them today?

Since it was not possible to take the physical object, a 3D installation was created, and a search through Nairobi and the suburbs began …

GENRE

Documentary (KE/GER 2020, 30 min) / Augmented Reality Installation
Subtitles: English, French

TOPICS

Restitution, colonialism, museums, cultural heritage, digitalization

DIRECTORS

Elena Schilling, Saitabao Kaiyare

PRODUCERS

Mumo Liku, Daniela Fritz, Ann-Katrin Boberg

SUPPORT BY

Film Academy Baden-Württemberg, Docubox East Africa, Robert Bosch Foundation, Hivos Foundation, LBBW Foundation, Baruu Collective

AWARDED WITH

Osmane Sembène Short Film Award 2021,
Los Angeles Cinematography Awards 2020,
Africa Magic Viewers Choice Award for Best Documentary 2022.
Nominated for the African Movie Academy Awards 2021

SOCIAL MEDIA
Instagram: @ifobjectscouldspeak
Facebook: If Objects Could Speak

CONTACT
office@elanaschilling.com
kaiyare@baruucollective.com

WEBSITE
www.ifobjectscouldspeak.com