DocFest: Widow Champion
October 18, 2025
Fifteen years after being thrown off her land by her in-laws, a Kenyan widow transforms herself into a fierce advocate for women’s land rights in her community, rallying her fellow widows to reclaim their rightful property.
SIFF year-round passes and vouchers are not valid for DocFest screenings.
Tickets
Select showtime for pricing and tickets.
Saturday, October 18, 2025
In rural Kenya, a rising tension exists between the ingrained culture and the evolving world. Wives live on the same compound as their husbands' families, but when their husbands die—unless they are “inherited” by one of their brothers-in-law—these women find themselves disowned and treated like second-class citizens. Powerless, they often have the deeds to their husbands' land stripped from them. These widows find a hero and advocate in Rodah Wekesa. A widowed matriarch who faced similar harsh consequences after her husband’s death 15 years earlier, Rodah now helps other widows navigate their complex challenges, strategically focusing on repair while still honoring tribal, cultural, and modern laws. Employing an immersive, fly-on-the-wall approach, director Zippy Kimundu intertwines Rodah’s daily experiences with the powerful, emotional stories of other widows, illuminating the delicate tension between an ingrained culture and a rapidly changing world.
- Director: Zippy Kimundu
- Principal Cast: Rodah Nafula Wekesa
- Country: Kenya
- Year: 2025
- Running Time: 95 min.
- Producer: Heather Courtney, Zippy Kimundu
- Cinematographers: Steve Ruiyi, Zippy Kimundu
- Editors: Jordana Berg, Frankie Ashiruka, Sergio Bloch
- Music: Polycarp “Fancy Fingers” Otieno, and Polycarp “Winyo” Shiphton
- Filmography: Our Land, Our Freedom(2023)
- Language: Luo, Swahili, English
- Has Subtitles: Yes
- International Sales: Afrofilms International