Watu Wote: All of us (2017)

Directed by: Katja Benrath | 22 minutes | short film, drama | Actors: Barkhad Abdirahman, Faysal Ahmed, Mahad Ahmed, Abdiwali Farrah, Charlie Karumi, Alex Khayo, Gerald Langiri, Justin Mirichii, Saada Mohammed, Douglas Muigai, Adelyne Wairimu

‘Watu Wote’ (2017) is a powerful short film about the tensions between Christians and Muslims in Kenya. We follow Abdirashid Adan on a bus trip to Somalia. The Christian Abdirashid clearly does not feel at ease and mistrusts the other Muslim passengers. She stays on her own, does not want to buy water from the Muslim seller on the bus, and thus arouses the annoyance of fellow traveler Salah Farah, who addresses her about this. Abdirashid defends herself by saying that her husband and children were murdered by Muslims. Salah shows understanding but also feels insulted and keeps Abdirashid from making a subsequent overture. In short, it is not a pleasant place on the bus and then there is also the ever-present danger of the terrorist movement Al-Shabaab.

And that’s exactly what happens, the bus is stopped by an armed gang that forces all passengers to get off. Abdirashid is put on a headscarf just in time by the woman next to her. The travelers are pressured to denounce the Christians in the group, at which point Salah stands up to retaliate at the risk of his own life to the members of Al-Shabaab.

‘Watu Wote’ manages to put down a full story in seventeen minutes (not counting the long credits) that takes the viewer to an extremely exciting climax. And then there is still time for an epilogue of image and text that tells us, among other things, that “Watu Wote” is based on a true event. ‘Watu Wote’ nuances the image that Christians and Muslims are always and everywhere viewed as enemies.