Written and directed and by Kenyan filmmaker Sam Soko, Softie is the first film from Kenya to ever premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. The documentary film which won the Special Jury Award for Editing at the festival will be released in virtual cinemas nationwide starting September 18th.
Softie is an intimate look at Boniface “Softie” Mwangi, a daring and audacious Kenyan photojournalist who decides to run for political office in an effort to change the corrupt political system in Kenya. Soko’s film highlights how misinformation in politics can have long term effects on a voting population, a problem we are facing in America.
Boniface “Softie” Mwangi has long fought injustices in his country as a political activist. Now he’s taking the next step by running for office in a regional Kenyan election. From the moment Boniface decides to run, telling his wife, Njeri, in passing with a hesitant laugh, he responds to each challenge with optimism. But running a clean campaign against corrupt opponents becomes increasingly harder to combat with idealism alone. And Boniface soon finds that challenging strong political dynasties is putting his family at risk. Should country really come before family, as he’s always believed?