The Letter

Filmed with a gentle pace and incredible closeness, The Letter is a gripping family drama about a 95 year-old Grandmother with a fearless spirit who must overcome dangerous accusations of witchcraft that are coming from within her own family. Her grandson Karisa, travels home from the city to investigate, and it gradually emerges who sent the threatening letter and why.

But his Grandmother is not the only elder accused. A volatile mix of consumerism, Christianity and a systemic erasure of the past, is turning hundreds of families against their elders, branding them as witches as a means to steal their ancestral land.

As Karisa delicately navigates between his disputing aunties and uncles, the love for his Grandmother must overcome the imminent danger of the accusations against her. The inevitable universal theme of how land is divided when an elder dies, is entangled by the chaotic mixture of traditions of the past with the newly imposed influence of western values and religion. The understated power of women, alongside the resilience of family and community shines above all else, despite the growing threat of greed and a growing division between young and old..

The debut feature-documentary by wife-and-husband team Maia Lekow & Christopher King, The Letter premiered at IDFA 2019 and was Kenya’s official submission for Best Foreign Feature at the 93rd Academy Awards.

For more info, visit the film website at www.the-letter.org.

Stream on Vimeo-on-demand.