The Zambian Film On Netflix That Had Audiences In Puddles Of Tears
Zambian guitarist and singer-songwriter John Muzuni Chiti has etched a fruitful artistic career for himself over the years, but he had to fight a deep-rooted stigma since he was a child to carve his place in the world. Born with albinism, Chiti was abandoned by his biological father shortly after his birth and had to contend with struggles growing up due to this congenital condition. In 2021, Zambian film writer Lawrence Thompson contacted Chiti, intending to make a feature film about his life — this birthed "Can You See Us?," the recently-released Netflix film that evokes strong emotions with its handling of this delicate, nuanced subject matter.
"Can You See Us?" focuses on a young boy named Joseph (Thabo Kaamba/George Sikazwe), who is bullied due to his albinism and is forced to walk the path of bleak pessimism and cautious hope. Joseph's story reflects that of Chiti's, where the boy's father renounces his flesh and blood because of his distinct appearance and leaves his wife after accusing her of infidelity. Chiti talked about his struggles growing up, where, despite having a "strong bond" with his stepfather, he felt jilted and isolated due to the superstitions surrounding body parts and their appearance prevalent in parts of Africa, and how they often led to violence (via NPR):
"Body parts of people with albinism are believed to have powers, to make wealth, to cure diseases. And because of that, many people with albinism are hunted and killed. It's a crime, it's murder, it's assault."
Joseph also experiences such unprompted violence in the film, where a group attacks him viciously before fleeing. Such a harrowing predicament is unfortunately not fictitious, as the persecution of people with albinism in Zambia and surrounding countries is a very real problem to this day.
An essential film
With the rising popularity of "Can You See Us?", Thompson hopes that the film will be able to raise awareness about this deep-seated issue and usher in practical reforms one day. Along with superstition-fueled discrimination, such prejudices lead to feelings of isolation and displacement, creating cracks within the community that remain invisible despite being so pronounced.
Director Kenny Mumba brings Chiti's story to life in harrowing detail but does not resort to cheap sensationalization to elicit emotions. Instead, the film actively challenges traditional perceptions and viscerally explores the meaning of human connection and how essential it is to make an ostracized individual feel accepted and included. Mumba also highlights the dire need to discard baseless emphasis on unconventional appearances, and instead focus on one's innate humanity and what it means on a macrocosmic level.
Chiti also added: "I used to blame myself for being a person with albinism. I grew up with low self-esteem because I thought I'm not human enough. But it's not us that have to change, it's society that needs to change its attitudes towards us." This sentiment is the crux of the film, which is a first step towards erasing the stigma surrounding albinism and the violence and pain it leaves in its wake.
The synopsis for "Can You See Us?" is as follows:
"Rejected by his father at birth, a boy with albinism navigates a childhood of bullying, tragedy and cautious hope in this coming-of-age drama."
"Can You See Us?" is currently streaming on Netflix.