FINDING YOUR WINGS

Have you ever had a crazy dream for the future lakini because hauoni too many people doing it, it feels impossible? Well, tuko hapa kusema nothing is impossible if you stay the course and do your thing! That’s what content creator and our fellow SKY sis Mona (@Mona.Osiabe on Instagram) found out when she chatted with filmmaker Emma Nzioka about what it takes to make it in the film industry.

Emma is a filmmaker, photojournalist and DJ (stage name Coco Em) based in Nairobi, Kenya. She has worked on some amazing African films and is making her filmmaking dreams come true one frame at a time. Find out vile anamanage!

 

Mona: Hi Emma! Aki thanks for talking to the sistahood. Let me ask, what inspired you to get into filmmaking na cinematography?

Emma: Thanks Mona. So happy to be here. Well, my filmmaking story is a long one so I’ll try and keep it simple 😂 Weirdly, it was my ka-hobby of photography that gave me my start. It got me my first job at Nation media as a photojournalist and it was there that I started experimenting with videography. And once I started sikutaka kuwacha. 

 

Mona: So this started from a hobby? So cool! Enhe…halafu? How did you get from there into making films?

Emma: So what happened was I changed jobs and became a location scout for a film company called Ginger Ink films and this is where the filmmaking bug bit me vizuri sasa. I was so inspired by the process of filmmaking and started learning as much as I could on set. 

 

Mona: Ok, let’s switch kidogo to challenges. What are your biggest challenges;

- That you overcame growing up?

Emma: Having low self-esteem and a self-sabotaging way of viewing myself and my abilities. It got in the way of me trying things I loved and I wish I was kinder to myself.

- While filming a project?

Emma: It will have to be for the film Lusala, which I am very proud of lakini weh! Si it was not easy? 😅 Since it was my first feature film, sometimes I felt like I didn’t know much, but uzuri my crew members gave me such support and helped me get out of my own head, do my best and learn a lot. Na unajua film projects are very physically and emotionally demanding but when you really love it, it is totally worth it. 

-That you've yet to overcome?

Emma: 😅😅😅 Procratination bado inanishow dust. Lol. But someone told me that procrastination is driven by the need to be a perfectionist, so najaribu kulet go of the need to be perfect. 

 

Mona: What is the most impactful project that you worked on? Na pia which was your favourite film that you got to work on? 

Emma: They happen to be the same film actually! A recent feature documentary called “Nyandeng” that we is about Rebecca Nyandeng (an inspiring leader in South Sudan) with Director Akuol De Mabior and sound recording artist, Josephine Obudo. It premiered at the Berlin Film Festival and I’m super proud of the project. We worked with a fully female crew imagine?! Learned so much from each of them and I hope we see more young women be an active part of the industry…like you!

Mona: Oh wow. Amen!😂 Ok, If you were to compile all your years of experience and boil them down to two statements, what would they be?

Emma: For me the first itakuwa “There is opportunity in doing your thing”. By following my passion I am now doing what I love. And then two is “Be intentional”. Usifanye tu kufanya…have a purpose.

 

Mona: Na finally, what is some of the advice you give to a girl who wants to work in the film industry that you could share with our SKY sisters? 

Emma: Have a plan and start with what you have. Do not doubt your abilities and always take on every opportunity you can to learn more about your field. Applying for various filmmaking workshops really helped me early on in my film journey with not only technical skills but networks I can reach out to till this day.

Learn as much as possible, never take any nonsense, do not be afraid to speak up and to always maintain a sense of humility. 

 

You can watch Emma’s film “Lusala” on showmax and follow her on her IG @cocoem__