I Am Samuel

Samuel moves from his rural hometown to urban Nairobi in search for freedom. Working two jobs to make ends meet, life in the big city can be hard. But at least Samuel can be himself. As a young gay man growing up in the Kenyan countryside, Samuel used to think that he was alone. Nairobi proves him wrong. In the city he meets others like himself and establishes a small group of supportive friends. Then he meets Alex, the love of his life. But family traditions dictate that Samuel should get married and move to the house next to his parents to take care of them in their old age. Samuel loves his family dearly, but he also loves Alex. Will Samuel be able to reconcile the family’s expectations and his relationship with a man, in a country where homosexuality is a criminal offense? This intimate documentary shot over five years reveals the delicate balance Samuel manages to strike between the loyalty to his family and true love.

Leonardo Rodarte

Director

Peter Murimi is a Kenyan director, director of photography and journalist. He has won several journalistic awards for his previous documentaries, and his work has featured on BBC and Al Jazeera. I am Samuel is his first feature documentary.