Wavumba

Fascinating, personal debut that follows an old fisherman in Kenya who can immerse himself in a world of stories, especially concerning his unwavering belief in a certain destiny. About the desire to return to the simple and clear world of a child, where fantasy and dreams are no less real than reality. 　　In his teenage years, Jeroen van Velzen moved back and forth between a British public school and a Kenyan beach paradise. A culture clash between eating sausages at fixed times, standing neatly in line and using the words Sir or Madam and magic stories about a man who talks to fish, seahorses that dance on the waves and the dream of capturing a giant shark. 　　As an adult, Van Velzen has lost his faith in the supernatural. Yet he has a nostalgic desire for the magic of his childhood. With a film crew, he returns to Kenya, where on a coral island he meets the old fisherman Masoud who teaches his grandson Juma the tricks of the trade. 　　The two hunt for lightning-quick sea snakes, poisonous fish and of course the giant shark, while Masoud describes his brave deeds - with great imagination. In this way, just as in Van Velzen’s childhood, the world of people and the world of spirits meet. In his poetic, contemplative voiceover, the maker also lifts the film to a spiritual level.