My Life in Crime, the movie

I am posting here the first of many blogs that will cover the events surrounding the making of the movie My Life in Crime.


This movie is based on the best-selling Kenyan novel of the same name plus more.  It's actually based on three novels written by the famed John Kiriamiti - My Life in Crime, My Life with a Criminal and My Life in Prison.

Almost two years ago I assisted in securing the filming rights to these books from the owner of those rights, East African Educational Publishers in Nairobi, Kenya.  They kindly informed me that My Life in Crime was their best selling novel ever in Kenya.  It has been in print since 1984 and is now in its twelfth printing.  The old records can't be found so the exact number of copies isn't known but we are working hard on getting that information.  Somewhere, in the deep file cabinets of the publisher, are the records we need to verify just how many copies have been sold.

Since the filming rights were secured an adapted screenplay has been written.  Three writers have been involved; Serah Mwihaki, Loyce Kareri and a little bit by me, Neil Schell.  Serah wrote several drafts, which I helped with, then Loyce did as well, which I also helped with.  We now have a script we are all proud of and that is a seriously exceptional script - exceptional like the books.

With screenplay in hand, we could then move forward and get an up-to-date, professional budget done by Jenny Pont here in Nairobi.

These two vital pieces, the screenplay and the budget, allowed us to then draw up a business plan for the movie.  it covers everything from the Executive Summary, to the Synopsis, to the budget and marketing.  This business plan takes the movie My Life in Crime and unleashes it to the world at large. It is our intent to let the world in on one of Kenya's most loved stories ever written in a very big way.  This will be the biggest movie ever to be made in Kenya by a Kenyan production company, Kirina Productions Ltd.

Last week I took our business plan to the DISCOP Africa Convention in Johannesburg, South Africa.  It got gobbled up by a number of strongly interested producers and broadcasters.  Connections are being made and we are on our way to getting the movie financed.

The producing team at this time consists of myself, Janet Kirina and Lucy Chodota who is based near The Hague in Holland.  Janet is cast as Millie and I will be directing the film in addition to our producing duties.

While sourcing out our investors for this exciting project, we are also contacting prospective stars to play in the key roles.  As we secure them, I will be posting their names.  You will be shocked in a good way for sure once they sign on and you will know that we will be doing one of the greatest Kenyan true stories every told due justice for the big screen.

Welcome to the making of My Life in Crime.  Please follow this blog so you get all the details...

Neil Schell
Exec Producer/Director
My Life in Crime, the movie

Origins

Over the weekend I experienced something most people in the West would never even imagine.  I am honoured and grateful and feel more privileged than these words will ever express.

Living here in Kenya has ignited an expansion of my understanding of people, culture and relationships.  My understanding of this planet and how humanity survives has grown beyond my imagination and what has been revealed to me has left me in awe.  My love for humankind and it’s welfare has grown exponentially in recent years and my recent excursion to the Kenyan countryside was no exception.  

My dearest and most beautiful friend took me to her grandparents last home.  The place where they retired and spent the last days of their lives.  We took Mombasa road out of Nairobi and headed East for about an hour or so, turned off the main road and wound our way through the beautifully terraced hills of Kamba land.  We couldn’t drive right to the house so we parked the car and walked down a few hundred metres.  And there, with the beauty of a vista only the land where human life began can offer, was the hand built home of her grandparents.  The simplicity. The beauty.  

The hills were dotted with homesteads.  People walked up and down the red-soiled paths carrying those things vital to their survival - food, firewood, babies.  Some bare foot, some shod.  A radio played in the distance.  Birds sang and fluttered by.  

The damp soil from a recent rain enriched the smell of the air.  The locals told us they were now ready to plant - maize and beans.   Coffee plants scattered across the hillside, the weeds quietly being tilled by hand.  

I could sense a harmony of human life and nature.  A balance like I have never sensed before.  In my country, the weather can be very harsh and not all of the land is fertile.  Growing season lasts a couple of months and the majority of the year is left to the frigidity of mother nature.  The balance of life and nature is quite different.  People live far apart and have gigantic farms of an industrial nature. But here there seemed to be an equilibrium with nature all the time - each family with their own plot that sustains them.  

 The view around the homestead.

 The homestead itself.  Abandoned now but still standing strong.

 No corporate greed out here. No industrialization of the nation. Not here. This community has not bowed down to the almighty giants of our economic structure. This is life at it's roots. Sometimes we just have to re-connect.

The coolest buses ever!  This was on the way there from Nairobi.

My chauffeur

On the way - flat and dry landscape, great for cement plants.

Traveling in Sub-Saharan Africa

Hell’s Gate - Naivasha, Kenya

A few weekends ago I went on a trip to Naivasha - a lake resort not far from Nairobi.  It was there that I went on a boat ride to see the hippos and Fish Eagles, rode a camel, rode a horse, played pool and just generally had a wonderful time.  It was one of the best weekends of my life.

The highlight was my visit to Hell’s Gate.  Hell’s Gate is a national park here in Kenya.  Like all the national parks, it has many animals.  I rented a bike and road into the park. This is significant.  Whenever I have been in parks in Kenya I have always been in a vehicle.  Only stepping out occasionally to be in the open air and put my feet on the ground.  But this trip was so very different.  I found myself riding on a bicycle out in the open with giraffes, Thompson gazelles, buffalos and warthogs running along side of me.  There I was in the open in the serenity of the wild next to some of the most exotic animals on planet earth.  I was completely in awe!  The road was not busy at all with just a few cars coming by at long intervals.  So it was a peaceful connection to nature in a way I have never experienced before.

At the end of the road is a gorge that was used as a location for Tomb Raider starring Angelina Jolie.  A Masai guide took me through the mini-canyon that had several tributaries all connected together.  The winding paths lead to remarkable beauty that mother nature had carved out of the rock walls of this labyrinth of passageways over who knows how many years.  

I wish I had pictures for you.  But they are a poor substitute for the real thing.  The magic of Africa is something to be experienced not just viewed in photos and watched on a documentary.  The air, the sky, the smells, and the 360 degrees of beauty has to be felt and observed first hand.    

Shortly after my trip to Naivasha, I was sent an email inviting me to give a class at the Rwanda International Film Festival.  This expense paid trip was not to be missed.  So after directing a UNICEF video for Spielworks Media, I boarded a plane destined for Kigali, the capital of Rwanda.  Below you will find my diary from Rwanda.  I just returned to Nairobi two days ago.

Here I sit in a land that experienced one of the worst genocides ever in the history of the world - Rwanda.  

My arrival was late at night.  My driver’s accent completely new to me.  I have never heard such an accent anywhere.  Since he probably speaks French and the local language as well as English, the cadence and rhythm of his speech I found to be intriguing.  It’s funny how you can feel like you’re in a Star Wars movie right here on planet Earth.  

My driver continually reassured me that Rwanda is safe.  “People walk around at this time of night” he told me over and over again pointing at those we could see walking.  “There are policemen and army people everywhere” was his reasoning behind the safety his people felt on the streets at night.  And I must admit, I could see that there were people out wandering the streets and not just young men in gangs but couples and individuals of all ages. And I know that at that hour, 12:30 a.m., couples don’t walk around the streets of Nairobi that’s for sure.

Then he told me how clean Rwanda is.  He said, “Look at the streets and the walks.  It’s like that everywhere.”  And he was right.  Nothing like Nairobi.  Nairobi doesn’t really have walks in most places and there is trash lying around on the sides of the roads always.  

So on the surface Rwanda has a very clean and safe appearance.  I’ve only been here a few hours so there is much more to discover about Rwanda.  

It’s been 17 years since the genocide and even though Rwanda would prefer to forget about it, it is obvious that it cannot.  Why would my driver be so adamant about the aesthetics and the safety of Rwanda?  Because he knows the genocide is not only in the minds of the people who come to visit but also it is still in the minds of the people here.  How can it not be?  

Day 3 in Kigali

Since arriving and writing for this blog on my first morning here in Rwanda, I have had the privilege to meet some wonderful people from here and from America.  I went to a very special dinner with the Stakeholders of the film festival on Friday night.  Met the woman who organizes and runs the Academy Awards night every year, Ellen Harrington, met a local businessman, Amin Gafaranga, who owns two coffee shops and wants to be a producer, met Eric Kabera the man who has organized the Rwanda International Film Festival and met a director from Kenya, Kenneth Olembo.  I also met Shirley Neal from the Africa Channel in the USA who is in charge of Programming and Production. 

This was a wonderful dinner and introduction to all those who are most interested in the film industry growing and becoming a viable part of the Rwandan economy.  

On Saturday, I had the privilege of sharing what I know about creating independent films and TV with some very eager young filmmakers here.  What was immediately observable from these students is the understanding that finding the money was truly the hardest part of their filmmaking careers.  They gobbled up my stories of how I helped find the money to finance Saints and to purchase the filming rights to the John Kiriamiti books.  I passed on my experiences and what I knew and offered up the best text I know on the subject.  I truly hope this helps them open the door to financing their own Rwandan films.

The class was a truly rewarding experience for me.  But before the class, I sat down and watched a local film named Kinyarwanda (the name of their native Bantu language).  Although it is another film about the genocide that happened here for 100 days in 1994, it has a take on it like none other I have seen.  The makers of this film let us hear the voices of some of the perpetrators of the genocide crimes.  Never before have I been exposed to their viewpoint.  And even though I felt this could have been explored even deeper, it was enough to expose me to the “other side” of this horrendous insanity that was methodically perpetrated for 100 days.

That evening, last night in fact, was the official launch of the 7th edition of the Rwandan International Film Festival.  Although small in scope, it is rich in culture.  After experiencing the Academy Award nominated short film Na Wewe (which just blew me away!) I got to see a wonderfully entertaining film entitled Africa United and the amazing Rwandan dances that have been performed here for several hundreds of years before and after the movies.  Wow!  There I was sitting under the stars of the African sky watching the old and new of Rwanda and Africa.  Unforgettable.  I feel so very privileged and honoured to experience such an amazing night.  

Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, doesn’t have the bustle and energy of Nairobi.  It’s a smaller city that is clean and well organized.  But it seems as though Kigali has experienced somewhat of a pendulum effect.  The anarchy and lawlessness of the genocide was met with a police state.  Every kilometer there are two army personnel posted with machine guns on the main roads.  Police abound and heavy finds and sentences are associated with such simple things as throwing trash on the ground like a candy wrapper.  And, although I am not a supporter of litter, even as small as a candy wrapper, I am certain I can’t support the heavy penalties that are associated with such “illegal” acts.  Police states never succeed and Rwanda will at some point have to pull back its long arm of the law and let the people be freer without allowing anarchy ever creeping in again.  But then again, there is the other argument of whether it was a police state before the genocide. Was that indeed what perpetrated the insanity to begin with?  I have no first hand knowledge of Rwanda at that time but I do know that the Hutu tribe overthrew the predominant ruling Tutsi tribe in a violent manner.  Was there then a police state or a militant state that perpetrated the genocide?  

Nairobi may not be as clean and pretty, but it is full of life.  And to me, that is far more important that the surface appearance.  What is the underlying current of life of a culture?  That’s the dynamic to be looked for and understood.  Not the superficial presentation that covers up something that may be wrong or antipathetic to life.   

Alright, enough of my speculation and philosophizing.  Let’s get down to brass tacks, the truth is I have met some very wonderful people here. They are friendly and open to learning anything they can to build their nation.  To make Rwanda a model society to be looked upon with pride and respect.  That, above all, is the good that has been given birth too in the aftermath of such atrocity.  The individuals I have met have a vision, a united vision of a model society.  I will support them with all my heart.

 Yes, a coffee shop in Kigali, Rwanda 

 Traditional Rwandan dancing performed under the stars!

 On the same stage the launch of the Rwandan International Film Festival, Eric Kabera who has organized this event, gives a welcoming speech to all in attendance.

 The Executive Vice President of the Africa Channel in Los Angeles, Shirley Neal

 After the press conference held for the opening of the new film school Kwetu attended 

by members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences from Los Angeles.

 Emily, the coordinator for the film festival in the offices.

 Some of the new filmmakers getting a class from Director Kenneth Olembo of Nairobi.

 The offices for the film festival.

 Same office different angle.

 View of Kigali from the apartment where I was staying.

The morning sun in Kigali.

MILESTONES

As my directing of the 78th episode here in Kenya comes to a close, I feel a need to reflect on the changes I have experienced during the past 14 months of my life.  

The changes in my professional and personal life have been many with several in the category of monumental.  Living and working on the other side of the world has expanded my viewpoint of the planet and of society.    

The first most monumental change has been a discovery of the work I will be doing for the rest of this life.  All along, for most of my working life, I thought it was to be an actor.  To act on the big screen.  I drove myself in that direction.  Learned everything I could about it.  Helped other actors by teaching them what I had learned.  While heading in that direction in a very bold and focused way, I learned all about film making as well.  Along the way, I apprenticed as a film editor - studying the technique through books and under the guidance of a very experienced editor.  I watched every old classic movie in existence and learned the theory of what made film work.  At the time, I did not even suspect that I was really preparing myself to direct.  I had entertained the idea of directing then but it seemed to be a distant and remote possibility.  My focus was still on acting and that focus, unbeknownst to me, was leading me to the work I am now doing, directing.

Still, while pursuing my acting career, I studied under one of the most notable acting teachers of our time, Warren Robertson.  I practiced and studied and then taught what I had learned.  I gained a very special insight to acting, scenes, drama and how actors work in my classes with Warren.  I am forever grateful to him for passing along his insights and discoveries.  Many of those he was taught by the great Lee Strasberg and Stella Adler but many more he discovered on his own.  My love for acting and actors drove me to help other actors, especially those who were stranded in remote locations without access to the knowledge and practice those afforded in the major cities.  That lead me to teach actors across Canada for several years in locations where the stage and filming are rare occasions.  

Little did I know that my strong pursuit to help actors and to act would lead to me discovering my true career in life - directing.  Sure I thought of directing before.  But it was fleeting and not a burning desire like acting was.  It wasn’t until I actually did it (direct) that I KNEW it was my calling in life.  Every step I had taken prior.  Every word I had read.  Every role I had played.  Every job I ever held.  Every person I had met.  All of these lead to me being able to do what I do now so effectively - direct.  

I am revealing all of this in hopes of inspiring others and helping them to keep the fire burning.  Even though I didn’t know the exact direction my career would take, it was the act of following my heart and my passion that lead me to the truth.  For those of you who feel your career is not what it should be, have faith.  For I am a living example of how hard work, trust of what you know to be true and honesty can lead you to your true destination.  And it may surprise you how it all comes together.  It certainly did me.

That was milestone one.  By following my truth and giving to society my most valuable skills, other areas of my life began to sort out as well.  The relationship I was in fell apart after 10 years.  At the time it was a very strange feeling.  One of dismay and disorientation.  But that was just my own confusion disappearing and leaving my space.   I kept my work as my stable datum in life and with that stability in hand, my confusions disappeared and left me.  My certainty rose to new heights.  I met more wonderful friends and continued to expand in my work.   Sometimes change for the better is disguised in a painful wardrobe.  

For the record, I have done the following in the past 14 months:

Directed close to 2000 pages of script

Directed approximately 4700 camera set ups

Directed well over 200 actors 

Directed 78, 1/2 hour episodes of high quality TV content (4 seasons of Higher Learning and 2 seasons of SAINTS)

It’s not that I have arrived at eternal bliss.  Oh no.  But I now know I am heading in the right direction.  More than I ever have.  Certainty is a commodity that I find very valuable in life and I use it every day.  As I use it, I get more of it and on it goes.  Without certainty, there is no direction.  And a director needs to give direction.  

I face the challenges with a new strength.  A new confidence and vigor.  Knowing that all can be overcome.  Trusting the way.  

So in wrapping up with the Higher Learning shoot for Seasons 3 & 4 portion of this blog, I present you with some fabulous photos.  May you enjoy seeing the people of Africa I have come to love.   

Neil 

Director

 Valerie and Veronica

 Neville

 Nick

 Paul

 Ledama and Marion

 Me drinking cappuccino from Java House

 The countryside near Lamu - lots of tea.

 Ndanu reading script.

 Martin

 Dorothy

 Shiko and Ledama

 Me and Eric

 Valerie and Ndanu

 Yours truly

 Rogers

 Me and Eric

 Rogers and Veronica

 Not sure of this one's name

 The Uni Bar

 Eucabeth

 Paul

 Paul, Grace and me

 Grace

Me, Richie and Grace

Shiko, Ledama and Kemi

 Paul, Grace and the Waiter

Ahem!  Me...

 Me, Kerrie and Grace

A toast to a job well done!

 Happy crew!

 The last night of shooting. Directing Rogers as Sanjiv.

More of the same.

 Discussing the scene with Rogers and Janet.

 Collaborating with Janet Kirina - wonderful actress.

 Collaborating with Rogers - very talented actor.

 Blocking the scene.

 Shooting in the night.

Describing the intensity of the scene.

Janet

Kemi and her friendG

Grace

Yes, a hyena at the Nairobi Safari Walk

Rhino

Lioness

 Lioness

 Up a tree...

 Cheetah - Duma in Swahili

 Me waiting for the Duma

 Face to face with a Duma.  Nature is amazing.

 The Safari Walk in Nairobi

 Another Duma

 Croc waiting for food to just drop in its mouth.

Pygmy Hippo - no kidding.