A 10-year-old Kenyan girl determined to defy tradition and pursue her dream of sailing to Europe lies at the heart of After the Long Rains, the latest film by Zurich-born filmmaker Damien Hauser. This tender, coming-of-age story has resonated with audiences worldwide, premiering at the Red Sea Film Festival before earning accolades at Rotterdam and the Durban Film Festival.
Hauser, just 23 years old, brings a deeply personal perspective to his work. Born in Zurich to a Swiss father and Kenyan mother, he grew up in Switzerland but often visited Kenya with his mother. Despite these visits, his early impressions of Kenya were shaped by fleeting family gatherings, leaving him with a distant understanding of the country. That changed during the pandemic, when Hauser spent six months with his grandmother in a small village on Kenya’s Indian Ocean coast. This transformative time not only deepened his connection to his Kenyan heritage but also inspired his filmmaking journey.
During this period, Hauser directed Blind Love, his debut feature, which premiered at the Durban Film Festival in 2020. It was also when he began to learn Swahili, a language he describes as creatively liberating despite his modest fluency. His connection to Kenya has since become a recurring source of inspiration for his work.
His latest film, After the Long Rains (Baada Ya Masika), reflects this pull. Set in a rural Kenyan village, the story explores the tension between tradition and change, embodied in Aisha, a dreamy young girl who resists the societal expectations imposed upon her. Inspired by a real-life encounter with the daughter of his aunt’s neighbor, Hauser’s portrayal of Aisha captures the resilience and aspirations of a new generation navigating the shifting sands of culture and modernity.
The film’s emotional depth is rooted in Hauser’s exploration of his mother’s Kenyan upbringing. Spending time with his grandmother revealed untold stories of his mother’s childhood, reshaping his understanding of her life and inspiring the film’s themes. His perspective on these personal histories informed the intimate storytelling in the film.
Hauser’s filmmaking process mirrors the authenticity of his stories. Shot over six weeks with a minimal crew of four local fixers, the production required spontaneity and resourcefulness. Most of the actors, including young lead Eletricer Kache Hamisi, were first-timers, and locations were scouted mid-shoot. Hauser’s low-fi approach—a nod to his childhood experiments with a small camera gifted by his father—imbues the film with an intimate, raw quality.
The narrative force of After the Long Rains lies in its exploration of the friction between old and new. Aisha, mentored by a local fisherman, represents a generation caught between the traditions of their elders and the globalized perspectives brought by the internet and mobile technology. Hauser captures this tension with sensitivity, illustrating both the unease and the opportunities that come with change. Many people feel that the old world they grew up in is fading away, but there is also a need to embrace the evolving realities of the modern world.
As a whole, After the Long Rains provides a strong first impression of a promising career. It showcases Hauser’s ability to focus on the nuances of human emotion and cultural dynamics, all within the simplicity of its presentation. With this film, Damien Hauser cements his place as a filmmaker to watch, delivering a poignant, visually striking narrative that speaks to universal themes of identity, tradition, and the pursuit of dreams.
