Sarah, S.A.F.E.’s fourth feature film, tells the story of a Maasai family as they make the decision about which rite of passage their daughter will pass through. Created by S.A.F.E.’s all Maasai team, the film celebrates the achievements of SAFE Maa in the Loita Community – namely the the steps towards abandonment of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C). Through powerful storytelling, it narrates the experiences of girls and women in this community, where FGM/C and early marriage continue to be the norm.

The film’s producers Sarah Tenoi, Nick Reding and Amos Leuka co-founded SAFE Maa in 2005.

Harnessing the power of performance by using Maasai song, they initially addressed HIV, and then in 2008, at the request of Sarah Tenoi, the team began to tackle the extremely complex and challenging issue of FGM/C. As a survivor of FGM/C, Sarah said she did not want her daughters to undergo what she had gone through. At that time, 99% of girls underwent type two circumcision, known locally as the traditional cut, which is the removal of all external genitalia.

Over the past fifteen years, SAFE Maa has brought incredible change to this community. Beginning with a live performance of two competing Maasai songs, one pro the cut, and one anti, the team were able to open a discussion around this taboo subject. This enabled them to recruit community members to workshops, begin to change attitudes, and move families away from the cut.

Over the years, SAFE Maa have gained the support of the cultural leadership, most circumcisers themselves, and a vocal section of the community. Community leaders report a significant decrease in the rate of FGM/C in Loita, and an increase in girl’s enrolment in school. Traditional FGM/C is now only practiced in a minority of families, mostly in border and remote villages, where girls report fearing stigma and a loss of identity should they abandon. The need to build the confidence of young women and girls and to gather the whole community behind total abandonment was the catalyst to making this film.

Sarah, Nick and Amos wanted to create a film which was to tell the story of this change, and celebrate how far the community has come. They devised a story that told the journey of one girl and her family. Improvisations with the staff revealed a wealth of acting talent among the team, and the search began for two young girls to play the leads.

The film was shot without a full script, and the cast improvised the scenes as they were filmed, based on their own understanding of the complex and sensitive cultural and political issues that surround FGM/C, and their knowledge of their characters. Having all worked together for 18 years, the trust shared by the director, producers and cast enabled them to present the changes happening in the Loita community with sensitivity, celebration, and with an acknowledgment of the long road ahead towards total abandonment.