Film

JC Niala enjoys delving into the human condition, particularly in the face of social and political turmoil. She is also interested in depicting complex characters who are grappling with their circumstances and are driven by a mix of hope, despair, and resilience. She is fascinated with the intricate web of relationships in a community and works to write scripts that provide a critical lens through which to view socio-political issues, sparking important conversations.

JC works to ground her scripts in the (sometimes harsh) realities her characters are facing while holding on to an undercurrent of empathy to engage audiences. She finds cultural nuances a fruitful way to explore themes of identity, belonging, and displacement.

Her films ‘Something Necessary’ and ‘Wazi? FM’ have been shown at film festivals around the world including Toronto and Rotterdam. ‘Something Necessary’ tells the story of a woman working to rebuild her life in the wake of the post election violence in Kenya in 2007/8.  ‘Wazi? FM’ follows the lives of urban refugees and has won several awards including the Golden Dhow for best picture at Zanzibar International Film Festival and an EU Award for promoting peace and cultural understanding.