For the Kikuyu people, the largest ethnic group in Kenya, land is identity, explained journalist Bea Wangondu in her directorial debut film, “Kikuyu Land.”  That’s why she, along with filmmaker Andrew H. Brown, decided to investigate the continuing impacts on the people whose lands Britis h colonizers stole. The resulting documentary premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival in the World Cinema Documentary Competition, bringing an overlooked reality to a global audience. “The film explores the legacies of colonialism and the ways power shapes identity and opportunity, but at its heart, it’s about the resilience and dignity of communities,” Wangondu said. The documentary shows the current land battle in Kenya involving the local government and a powerful multinational corporation, but it also tightens the lens on a series of families who work on a tea plantation under abusive conditions. These plantations were introduced in the 1920s by British settlers, Wangondu explained, at the cost of indigenous communities and traditional agriculture practices. While the industry became a major driver of Kenya’s economy, most of the profits leave the country, systemically reinforcing inequality in the country.  “Colonial structures didn’t just shape land and labor in Kenya — they created patterns of power that thrive globally today, where wealth and opportunity are concentrated while ordinary people bear the cost,” Brown said.  Bea Wangondu is a journalist and co-director of “Kikuyu Land.” Credit: Photo courtesy of Sundance Institute It’s those ordinary people who are at the heart of the film: Wangondu herself, a pastor fighting for his land back, the women who are exploited on the plantations and their children brought up under those conditions. “From the very start, our goal was to center the people whose stories we were telling and to highlight their experiences with honesty and empathy,” Wangondu said. But because of the tense political situation, the two filmmakers had to work carefully. To get shots of the plantation and the workers willing to share their story, Brown and Wangondu would sneak onto the property while managers and security were away. At times, Brown relied on a long zoom lens to film from the surrounding forests. “The issues at the core of this film are politically charged, and sharing too much about the project within Kenya could have put community members at risk or drawn unwanted attention before it was safe,” she explained. “Being from the community allowed me to approach the film with trust, understanding and respect, giving us access to stories that might have otherwise remained untold.” Many of the faces in the film are blurred out, and voices were changed, but those omissions don’t impact the film’s flow. “We felt it was important to be honest about that uncertainty rather than smoothing it over for the sake of a cleaner narrative,” the filmmakers said. “By allowing uncertainty to remain, we wanted audiences to feel the weight of waiting, ambiguity and unfinished struggle.” The two directors said the project couldn’t have come together without both of them. Brown, an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker for his work on National Geographic’s “Path of the Panther,” has spent the past decade living and working across sub-Saharan Africa, but he also brings an outside perspective. “I came in with a bit of distance, which helped us constantly question structure, clarity and how the story might land for audiences far beyond Kenya,” Brown said. “I could ask the questions a global viewer might ask and focus on shaping the material into a cinematic narrative that balanced intimacy with context.” Andrew H. Brown co-directed “Kikuyu Land,” lending his filmmaking experience to the Kenya-based project. Credit: Photo courtesy of Sundance Institute In addition to showing the lives of people stuck in a cycle of oppression, the film also depicts the challenges Wangondu faced as a journalist trying to get the truth out, being silenced in her own way. Not just the threats to her life, but other scenes show that other journalists who were vocally outspoken against the government or powerful businesses were abducted or killed.  But she pushes through, and with Brown’s help, tells the unresolved issues in a form that brings even more awareness: debuting at Sundance.  “We hope audiences leave ‘Kikuyu Land’ with a clear understanding that land injustice is not something left in the past and that colonial systems were never fully dismantled,” said Brown about premiering at the festival. “I hope the film acts as a mirror for audiences that helps show them how democracy can feel fragile when legal and political structures meant to protect people instead reproduce older power imbalances. This story is not unique to Kenya.” Wangondu said that, as a Kenyan, this project is even more personal, aimed at shifting the way her community’s stories are still told through stereotypes. “My hope is that it encourages audiences and filmmakers alike to recognize African perspectives as nuanced and essential, and to approach these stories with respect rather than simplification,” Wangondu said. While the film ends without resolution, the vibrant life and resistance of the Kikuyu people is undeniable, a lesson in standing up for what you believe in. “Corruption of power is not isolated. It’s a global issue,” Brown said. “We believe that the act of storytelling gives people a way to push back against these forces.” ‘Kikuyu Land’ in-person screenings 6 p.m., Jan. 29, Holiday Village Cinemas 3 6:30 p.m., Jan. 30, Broadway Centre Cinemas 6 Online 8 a.m., Jan. 29-11:55 p.m., Feb. 1 The post ‘Kikuyu Land’ shows Sundance audiences the persistence of injustice and colonialism appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less