The Kenyan Tea Times

  Title: Chaos, Creativity, and Comic Truth — “Behind the Behind the Scenes” Captures the Beautiful Mess of Filmmaking ⭐ 9/10 Review: In Behind the Behind the Scenes , James Ongige turns the camera on himself — and on the chaos, ego, and fragile brilliance that define low-budget filmmaking. What might have been a simple mockumentary quickly unfolds into a surprisingly sharp and self-aware portrait of the creative process — one that’s equal parts hilarious, painful, and deeply relatable. Shot in a raw, documentary style, the film follows a group of film students attempting to pull off a “masterpiece” with limited resources, questionable leadership, and too much ambition. From forgotten memory cards to clashing visions, every obstacle feels pulled from real-life experience — and that’s precisely where the film’s authenticity lies. Ongige doesn’t romanticize the hustle; he exposes it, frame by frame, with honesty and wit. What makes Behind the Behind the Scenes so compelling is ...

  Title:   THE HOLY REQUIEM (2025) Written & Directed by James Ongige ⭐ 8.6/10 Review: In The Holy Requiem (2025) , James Ongige delivers a bold and haunting piece of cinema that explores the uneasy marriage between faith and violence. It’s not just a crime thriller — it’s a meditation on guilt, redemption, and the fragility of the human soul when tested by divine silence. Set against a backdrop of moral decay and quiet desperation, the film follows a former hitman seeking absolution, only to find himself entangled in the manipulative schemes of a priest whose own faith is corroded by power. What emerges is a chilling allegory about the dangers of blind devotion — both to God and to one’s past. Ongige’s direction is deliberate and restrained, allowing tension to build organically. The cinematography evokes an atmosphere of spiritual suffocation — light and shadow collide in almost biblical contrast, mirroring the film’s central theme: that salvation often comes disgui...