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Low Tide
'LOW TIDE' is a short, but almost true story... It is a drama about love, money, desperation and hope. It is inspired by stories picked up in Kenya at the time of production. Being improvised, the story is simple, but hopefully without prejudices. The story is dealing with problems, which are impossible to ignore in a country like Kenya. BackgroundThe situation in Kenya 1997/1998Riots and clashesThe offset of the video is Kenya 1998. A country and people with problems - more than usually. There are ups and downs everywhere, but some really hard time started in Kenya August 1997.
El NiñoEven before the riots had died out - the rain started pouring. The El Niño was hitting hard in specially in Somalia, but also Kenya had floods and an aftermath of diseases. The important road and railway from the coast to Nairobi and Uganda were closed for long periods of time. In the slum areas, landslides buried people and houses. January, which is normally the peak of the tourist season, was a disaster in 1998. The rain poured down spoiling safaris and beach-vacations for the few remaining tourists. The tourist industry of Kenya was more dead than alive at this time. By July everything was quiet again and the surviving coast hotels started opening again. And then... a terrorist bomb-blast in the central Nairobi killing hundreds. Surely not a year that will be forgotten in Kenya. The story of 'Low Tide'Wataku and PendoWataku is a young guy working as a waiter on a Mombasa south-coast resort. But the weather and other factors has made the low season 'lower' than usually. Several hotels have been forced to close. Wataku and many others are put on a leave 'until further notice'. That is a leave without salary or any kind of social welfare of course.
Wataku is also in love and plans to marry his girlfriend Pendo. But love and marriage in a country, which is still very traditional, demands a dower or bride price to be paid by the groom. Without money, there is no chance of getting married. When Wataku looses his hotel job all of his future-plans suddenly fall apart. Pendo is a modern city-girl not concerned about traditions and dower. But her father probably is - and either way: Wataku has lost all pride and self-confidence. He is ashamed and decides to break with Pendo, when he meets her shortly after being sacked. On the way from the south coast to Mombasa Wataku's wallet is snatched by a thief. Wataku is definitely the unluckiest guy in Kenya that day. After seeing Pendo, he decides to go to the local hangout place to talk to his friends. But most of them are in a similar situation and it is not really helping when he is told to be strong in his faith.
In desperation Wataku plans to run away from it all and even leave the girlfriend behind. He has lost all confidence in himself and he no longer feels worthy of the devotion of Pendo. But Pendo reaches him in the last minute before Osagyefo's group is back. She does not intend to let him go and tells him that she is pregnant. A baby is surely not what Wataku needs right now. But Wataku is in love and he has a different reaction that one should expect. He is choosing to take it as good news, a sign of a new start -and in that moment everything changes. Wataku is ready again - with dreams and courage. Wataku and Pendo escapes Mr. Osagyefo and runs away to an unknown future. The friend of Wataku who is telling the story has not seem them since, but he too is hopefull:
The videoThe aim of the video is to show a glimpse
of African daily life and bring attention to the problems 20-year
old Wataku faces the day he is sacked. The style is drama-documentary.
The starting point is very true, but the end is probably to good
to be... It will be half way through the video before most people
realise whether they are watching a documentary or a feature film.
The documentary offset will hopefully force the audience to give
the 'fairytale happy-end' an extra spin. MORE: Article from the Nation newspaper: 25,000 workers laid off as tourism slumps
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| Copyright © Jacob Crawfurd - crawfurd.dk 1996-2011. All Rights Reserved. |
Story
and background information about the short feature video: 
Ahead
of the presidential elections, riots started in the coastal province.
Political and ethnic clashes were totally out of control. Many people
were killed or on the run. The riots started with a raid on a Police
station in the Mombasa suburb of Likoni. Dangerous prisoners were
on the loose with piles of stolen weapons. After this followed weeks
of fear, death and burned houses on the coast from Mombasa to Malindi.
Old respected tribesmen and leaders from the youth organisation
of the ruling party KANU, seems to have been involved in raising
the anger against upcountry people settling on the coast. Similar
violent scenes were seen in the Rift Valley before the 1992-election.
Read more details in 
Wataku
is only 20 years old, but he has several obligations as the only
man in his family. The father left the family years ago and Wataku
is responsible for paying schoolfees for two younger sisters. He
couldn't have the education himself, and now the small family depends
on his income. This is a constructed story, but certainly not an
unusual situation. 
To
top this heap of problems Wataku has been borrowing money from some
really bad characters. The local 'Mafia' Mr. Osagyefo wants his
money back and there is no understanding or soft feelings. There
seem to be only one solution. Wataku is forced to help Osagyefo
with some risky and probably dirty business. 
"In
the end nothing really bad happened... Wataku and Pendo moved away
from here. The good weather has returned now, and I think even the
tourists are returning soon. Best of all, I know that dreams, courage
and joy of life returned to Wataku when he got together with Pendo
again. That is what we all really need to make a change come. I
often think about them. I imagine that they will soon have a small
daughter, start their own business and that they live a place, where
there is never a low tide. ...at least ...that is how I wish it
could be."