FREE MONEY
Kenya, United States 2022 – Director: Lauren DeFilippo, Sam Soko – Original language: English, Swahili – Subtitles: English – Length: 74 min.
“Nothing is for free. How can you give us money without wanting anything in return?” the inhabitants of a village in Kenya ask. The American NGO GiveDirectly will pay every villager 22 US dollars per month for 12 years. The universal basic income is funded by the likes of Google. An experiment on people that aims to combat poverty but also raises moral questions. Barbara Off
Biographies
Sam Soko is a Kenyan director, producer and editor. He screened the world premiere of his debut film SOFTIE at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. He is the co-founder of LBx Africa, a Kenyan production company that brings African perspectives to international audiences.
Lauren DeFilippo works as a director and producer for Insignia, a New York-based production company. In 2021, she was named to DOC NYC and HBO's annual list of "40 Under 40" documentarians to keep an eye on.
Filmographies
Sam Soko
SOFTIE, KN 2020, 96 Min.
Lauren DeFilippo
RED HEAVEN, USA 2020, 84 Min.
Nominated for the DOK.horizonte Competition – Cinema of Urgency
The films in this series tell stories from countries in transition. They are supported by ENGAGEMENT GLOBAL with funds from the BMZ and are nominated for the VIKTOR DOK.horizonte Competition, endowed with 5,000 euros. The award donor is the Petra-Kelly-Stiftung.
Camera: Vanessa Carr, Nyasha Kadandara, Wambui 'Bo' Muigai. Sound: Edward Ahenda, Fiona McBain. Editing: Ryan Mullins, Raúl Santos, Mila Aung-Thwin. Music: Eduardo Aram. Production: Insignia Films. Producer: Amanda Pollak. International Sales: Dogwoof.