Wakaliga Uganda, the film studio also known as Wakaliwood, is showcasing its new 40-minute film, 'Kibuuka Omumbaale', at the Chisenhale Gallery in London. The studio, founded by Harriet Nakasujja and Isaac Nabwana, is known for making action movies with a cast from Kampala streets and props built from scrap.
'Kibuuka Omumbaale' is named after a mythical warrior of the Buganda kingdom whose relics were removed by an Anglican missionary to Cambridge University in 1906. The remains were returned to Uganda in 1962, the year before its independence.
The film tells the story of a young man possessed by the warrior's spirit, who gains powers such as flying and zapping death rays. It also features a doppelganger embodying the negative aspects of Kibuuka. The narrative incorporates history lessons through concerned journalists consulting local folklorists and museum curators.
A key element of the film is its two soundtracks, with a disembodied voice, or 'video joker' (VJ), offering jokes, asides, and a running interpretation. This VJ device is derived from the tradition of screening films in Kampala with live VJ accompaniment.