65th International Film Festival for Children and Youth Zlín

Kevlar Soul is a film about two brothers struggling to find their way in life, dealing with problems of violence and alcoholism in the family with the older brother taking on parental responsibility. It tells the story with consistent visual language with pictures that speak, even when the characters are silent. The film gives an example of compassion for people in need rather than judgment, letting the audience go through the difficult journey together with the main characters. Kevlar Soul comes alive with the authentic performance of the actors.

Eight camels, sixty sheep, one hundred goats – that is how much Nawi is worth. The family is in debt, so she has to marry, even though she scored the highest marks in the final exams and wants to go on with school. Courageously the young Kenyan girl tries everything to avoid having to marry a much older man. Even though Nawis can’t escape her destiny in the end, the film leaves the audience with hope for a better future. The films’ narrative is both playful and clear, using voiceover with visuals to underline the world of its protagonists. Nawi helps us become aware of a problem which affects a huge number of girls around the world, who just want to live their lives and follow their dreams.