The How to Build a Library documentary, directed by Maia Von Lekow and Chris King, was screened at the Sundance Film Festival on Sunday, January 26, 2025.
In 2018, Kenyan duo Angela Wachuka (formerly of Kwani Trust) and Wanjiru Koinange (writer of the novel The Havoc of Choice) set up the Book Bunk Trust. The idea was to rehabilitate libraries in Nairobi, which had become threadbare and almost rotten with the support of donors and the county government. Watch the thesis of the project filmed by Maia Lekow and Chris King here;
The filmmakers afterward embedded themselves in the multi-year journey of the rehabilitation of the Macmillan, producing the How to Build a Library documentary. It follows Angela Wachuka and Wanjiru Koinange on the journey of transforming a space dead to the residents of the nation’s capital.
The directors said, “Our deep connection to Nairobi and its creative community is the backbone of How to Build a Library. This story is deeply personal to us, as it reflects our frustrations with Nairobi’s systemic challenges and the resilience of its creative community.”
The film has been described by critics as “a captivating tale of perseverance in the face of adversities” and “a fascinating exploration of Kenyan culture through the lens of artists working to restore and decolonize spaces for people to learn, create, inform, and share.”
It was one of three films alongside B(l)ind The Sacrifice and Khartoum offering intimate portraits of survival, transformation, and hope, bringing African experiences to a global stage, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in Salt Lake City, Utah in January.
It is set for a global festival tour before its triumphant homecoming to Nairobi, slated for October 2025.
Please note that Book Bunk hasn’t been about library rehabilitation only. They have also organised events like the NBO LitFest in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024.
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