Sintofahamu (Misunderstood)

A short film by Ochieng Oneko

Drama · 12 minutes · Kenya · 2026

THE FILM

Sometimes, saying goodbye means facing more than one loss.

Chizi and Imara were once inseparable. Alongside their childhood friend Evan, they shared a friendship that felt like it would always be there. But as life moved forward, the distance between the two women grew. Then Evan dies, leaving them to confront not only his absence, but everything that has changed between them.

When Evan’s mother asks them to take his ashes to his ancestral home and give him a final send-off, the two friends set out on a journey neither is quite ready for. Chizi struggles to accept the loss, while Imara is determined to fulfil the promise they made.

As they travel across the country towards the lakeside where Evan’s ancestors hail from, old memories surface alongside years of unspoken feelings. What begins as a farewell becomes a confrontation with grief, regret, and a friendship neither woman fully understands anymore.

Sintofahamu is a story about growing older, growing apart, and the difficult conversations that sometimes bring us back to one another.

WHEN FRIENDSHIP CHANGES

Not every friendship ends with a falling-out. Sometimes, life simply gets in the way. People grow, priorities shift, and the closeness that once felt effortless becomes harder to maintain.

Through Chizi and Imara, Sintofahamu explores what happens when those changes remain unspoken. The death of their friend forces them to face a loss that has been building in another form: the friendship they once shared with each other.

Neither woman grieves in quite the same way. One struggles to let go, while the other must reckon with the ways she has allowed distance to grow. Their journey asks us to consider the friendships we carry with us, the ones we have neglected, and the things we sometimes leave unsaid until we have no choice but to face them.

THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY

Sintofahamu began when five strangers were brought together by a story about grief and friendship. What they did not expect was that making the film would create friendships of its own and take them on a journey across the country.

For producer Ivy Wangui, the film became personal in ways she had not anticipated. As she reflects in her producer’s statement, making Sintofahamu became a source of healing. The experience deepened her understanding of how difficult it can be to navigate grief while also figuring out adulthood, identity, and the changing relationships that come with growing older.

That personal connection sits at the heart of the film. Rather than presenting grief as a single experience, Sintofahamu makes room for the different ways people carry loss — and for the possibility that we can feel seen in someone else’s story.

FROM THE FILMMAKERS

Director Ochieng Oneko approaches loss through both the emotional journey of the characters and the landscapes they move through.

The natural environment becomes a space for memory, reflection, and connection, mirroring the women’s gradual movement towards confronting what has been left unresolved.

The film asks a question that reaches beyond Evan’s death: how do we continue living with what we have lost?

For the filmmakers, the hope is that audiences recognise something of their own experiences in Chizi and Imara. Whether it is the loss of someone close, the gradual distance between old friends, or the challenge of finding our way through adulthood, the film offers a reminder that these experiences are not ours to navigate alone.

THE TEAM

* Director: Ochieng Oneko

* Writer: Mirelle Nazi

* Producer: Ivy Wangui

* Director of Photography: Maurice Murage

* Editor: Ochieng Oneko

* Production Companies: XXIV Underground & Folklore

THE FRIENDSHIPS WE CARRY

When was the last time you reached out to a friend you had slowly grown apart from?

Sintofahamu invites us to think about the people who have shaped our lives, the relationships that change as we grow, and the conversations that may still be waiting for us.

SEE IT AT MMM VOL. 5

SINTOFAHAMU screens as part of Mini Movie Marathon Vol. 5.

14 November 2026 · Nairobi

Come watch. Sit with it. Talk about it.

GET YOUR TICKET →