Kenyan Cinema – Homage to Wanjiru Kinyanjui, Jun 8-9 2012 @ Goethe-Institut

Friday, 8th June 2012, 4.00 pm & Saturday, 9th June 2012, 3.00 pm atGoethe-Institut Auditorium
Free Entry
Kenyan Film is making big strides, but many of its protagonists are not well known, not even in Kenya. It’s time to pay homage to their works. The Goethe-Institut series, which introduced Jacob Barua, Judy Kibinge, Willie Owusu, Jane Murago-Munene, Cajetan Boy, to a keenly interested audience, continues with another major protagonist: Wanjiru Kinyanjui, one of Kenya’s veteran film directors.
She studied at the Technical University of Berlin and at the Berlin Film School where she graduated with the award winning feature film The Battle of the Sacred Tree. Wanjiru has since written and directed over 20 films which have been exhibited in many festivals around the world. Her films are inspired by the world around her – from daily conversations, to folktales, to social issues such as equal rights and poverty. Apart from directing for BBC, CNN and German television, she has also made two “Riverwood” films: Manga in America, and Bahati. Her latest film is the award-winning documentary Africa is a Woman’s Name, Njoki Ndung’u.
As usual in this series, a representative selection of her corpus of work will be screened, and accompanied by a discussion with the filmmaker.

Concert: Artur Dutkiewicz – Jazz Mazurkas, Jun 5 2012 @ Goethe-Institut

Tuesday, 5th June 2012, 6:30 pm at the Goethe-Institut Auditorium. Free entrance!

Artur Dutkiewicz is one of the leading Polish jazz pianists and composer, born in Pińczów (Poland) in 1958. He graduated from The Academy of Music in Katowice (Poland) with distinction. Dutkiewicz was a finalist of the Thelonious Monk Competition in Washington, USA.
Artur Dutkiewicz presents his own, contemporary jazz mazurkas from his latest album Mazurkas. Mazurkas are influenced by Chopin and Polish folk music, combined with modern jazz improvisation. From Chopin’s music the inspiration was Polish mood and melody of mazurkas. The rhythm evolved from piano jazz tradition. Mazurkas, based on folk rhythms, are played in groovy-jazz way. In this program classical music, Polish folk music and trance jazz improvisation are combined as one original whole. Artur Dutkiewicz’s project Mazurkas was granted a scholarship from The Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage in 2009. Part of the program are Ethno-Jazz improvisations on songs from different cultures: Europe, the Middle and Far East.

In cooperation with the Embassy of Poland

Jazz Concert: Michaela Rabitsch & Robert Pawlik, Jun 3 2012 @ Goethe-Institut

Sunday, 3rd June 2012, 6.00 pm at the Goethe-Institut Auditorium – Free Entry

Michaela Rabitsch – singer, composer and Austria’s only female top Jazz trumpet player is called a modern day female Chet Baker by the US magazin Jazzscene. Michaela and her ingenious partner, composer and incredible fluid guitarist Robert Pawlik, who were invited by the Austrian Embassy Nairobi, delight both the press and the audience equally with their crossover repertoire of Jazz, Pop and Latin.
Robert’s guitar is equally able to create a cristal-clear frame full of emotion for the expressive voice and the sensitive trumpet playing of Michaela and to be the virtuoso replacement for the groove of a full rhythm section.
Especially their original, atmospheric compositions give them a unique, charming profile. Vienna’s “simpatico” first couple of Jazz sets new benchmarks in unplugged duo playing and impresses with touching and catchy songs.

In cooperation with the Austrian Embassy Nairobi