Pumzi

About

Pumzi (Breath) is a Kenyan science-fiction short film written and directed by Wanuri Kahiu. It takes place 35 years after World War III, when water shortages and radiation have forced people into a highly controlled community called Maitu. Asha, a museum curator, receives a soil sample that suggests life may have returned outside the community. Although the council rejects her evidence and prevents her from leaving, Asha escapes and ventures into the dangerous wasteland. She finds no living plants, but plants a seed from the Mother Tree and uses her remaining water and sweat to nurture it. The film ends with a tree growing from her body, symbolizing hope, renewal, and the possibility of life returning to the world. Pumzi falls squarely within the genre of Africanfuturism. It depicts a future state of civilisation (located on the African continent) that is predominantly populated by Black people. Additionally, it is produced by a South African studio composed of a group of creators who are creating and popularising innovative forms of cultural content from within African nations. Pumzi aligns well with motifs commonly found in Africanfuturism including, but not limited to, the presence of barren landscapes and the central role of water. (source: wikipedia)

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