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Director Katja Bentrah and Producer Tobian Rosen’s award-winning film Watu Wote (All of us), is based on a true story and has won over thirty-five film festival awards, including the Gold Student Academy Award. The film stars Adelyne Wairimu, Barkhad Abdirahman (Captain Phillips), Fasal Ahrmed (Captain Phillips) and Abdiwali Farrah (Fishing Without Nets).
For a decade, Kenya has been targeted by terrorist attacks of the Al-Shaaab. An atmosphere of anxiety and mistrust between Muslims and Christians is growing. Until in December 2015, Muslim bus passengers showed that solidarity can prevail.
Katja Bentrah started her career as a theatre tailor, but fell in love with filmmaking when she studied acting in Vienna. Her first short films (Babydoll, No one pukes in Heaven & Tilda) have been playing successfully at many international festivals. During her master studies at Hamburg Media School, she directed Where have you been, Secrecies and Watu Wote.
Producer Tobias Rosen was brought up in South Africa. After returning to Germany he worked as an actor at theater and for film, before he joined the producing masterclass of the Hamburg Media School. He supervised the graduation movie Child of Fire as director and producer as well as the historical drama Valentina. Rosen also produced the shorts Secrecies, At the End and Watu Wote.
Just a handful of this must-see films awards include; Best Narrative short at Brooklyn Film Festival, Best Short Film at the Oscar qualifying Bermuda International Film Festival, Best Short & Best Production at the German Newcomer Awards First Steps, the winner of the San Sebastian International Human Rights Film Festival and the Gold Student Academy Award, which qualifies it to be considered for a live action short film Oscar.
