The poignant Kenyan short film Act of Love, screened in Nairobi recently, is on a mission to raise awareness about maternal mental health in Africa, with a special focus on postpartum depression.
Inspired by a true story, the film has spent the past year touring film festivals across the continent and is now reaching an even broader audience.
Penned by Shelly Gitonga and set in Nairobi, Act of Love tells the heart-wrenching story of Juliana, a young mother struggling to keep her sanity as she faces the challenges of motherhood and the harsh realities of life.
After losing her job at a restaurant, Juliana, portrayed by Mwixx Mutinda, is forced to downsize to a single-room home in an informal settlement, where she desperately searches for new work to support herself and her two-month-old baby.
However, her situation rapidly deteriorates. A series of unfortunate events, sparked by her baby’s cries, causes Juliana to lose a promising job interview. Overwhelmed by frustration and despair, she questions her love for her child.
“What inspired me was my own experience with postpartum depression,” Gitonga told RFI.
“It’s pretty much me feeling alone in the dark, trying to clasp on any straws of relatability with anyone going through the same thing I’m going through,” she said.
Online searches failed to find a story related to what Gitonga was going through, so she wrote the story.
“After every community screening, a mum always comes up to thank me for giving a voice to what they went through. Act of Love is breaking the silence on postpartum depression in Kenya and Africa,” Gitonga added.
