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Saturday, June 14
3:00 PM - 4:45 PM

Regal Gallery Place

701 7th St NW, Washington, DC 20001

Widow Champion

Director

Zippy Kimundu

Producers

Heather Courtney, Zippy Kimundu

Associate Producer

Jennifer Abrahansom

Editors

Franki Ashiruka, Jordana Berg, Sérgio Bloch

Consulting Editor

Co-Editor

Assistant Editor

Cinematographers

Steve Ruiyi, Zippy Kimundu

Additional Cinematography

Music

Polycarp "Fancy Fingers" Otieno, Polycarp "Winyo" Shiphton

Sound

Narration

Contact

Zippy Kimundu, Afrofilms International zippy@afrofilmsinternational.com

Widows in rural Kenya, cast out from their land and homes, are forced to live in destitution with their children, often seeking shelter in markets or beneath trees. In many communities, wives live on the same compound as their husband’s family. When a husband dies, cultural practices dictate that the widow must be inherited by one of his brothers to be ‘cleansed’ and remain within the family—despite the region’s high HIV rates. More and more women are rejecting this tradition, facing severe consequences for their defiance.

Rodah Nafula faced these harsh consequences after her husband’s death 15 years ago when her in-laws expelled her and her three children from their land. After seven years living under unimaginable conditions at the village market, Rodah connected with a local NGO, which helped her regain her land through a community-based mediation program. She then trained to become a “Widow Champion,” empowering other women in similar situations.

Every day, Rodah helps other widows navigate the complex challenges of their lives, confronting new threats and managing her relationship with her in-laws. Her journey unfolds alongside that of Mary Atieno, whose case spans four years, marked by the rhythms of rice planting and harvesting.

With an immersive, fly-on-the-wall approach, the film intertwines Mary’s experiences with the powerful, emotional stories of other widows, illuminating the widespread and deeply ingrained nature of this issue.

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Zippy Kimundu

Director, Widow Champion

Zippy is an award-winning Kenyan filmmaker who has been working in the global industry for nearly two decades. She holds a Master’s in Fine Arts from New York University and has worked globally in over 20 countries. Among other notable films, she co-directed a short documentary, A Fork, a Spoon and a Knight, with renowned director Mira Nair, and was the assistant editor on the Disney film Queen of Katwe. Her debut feature documentary, which she co-produced and co-directed, Our Land, Our Freedom, had its world Premiere at IDFA in 2023 and continues to create Impact across continents. Her new documentary, Widow Champion, had its world premiere at HotDocs in April 2025.

Zippy is the Creative Lead at Art Space and Residency, a film educator for teenage refugee girls at I’ll Tell You My Story, and founder of AfroFilms, a creative collective working to ignite socio-political consciousness and action across continents.

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