Showmax has just dropped the trailer for Subterranea, Kenya's first-ever sci-fi series. Helmed by award-winning director Likarion Wainaina, the eight-episode psychological thriller hurtles the audience into the dark story of eight people trapped in an underground bunker after some form of a global catastrophe.
Imagined through a mixture of science fiction and psychological drama, Subterranea hopes to cause ripples by digging up human emotions buried in societal issues, setting a new benchmark for Kenyan television. Set for release on September 26, the series is already making headlines for its fresh take on science fiction, which is rare in African television.
Wainaina said in an exclusive interview with Variety:
"In Kenya, and maybe other places, there’s this misconception that sci-fi always means futuristic or lots of laser guns, but sci-fi can also be about exploring the impact of actual or imagined science on human psychology or behavior."
Subterranea aims to be a groundbreaking concept in Kenyan television
Subterranea is also hoping to be a visionary venture that redefines Kenyan storytelling. The series centers on a psychological experiment whereby eight participants are secluded in an underground bunker to study the effects of seclusion on human behavior.
However, events take a darker turn when the world above them appears to end. All control is then lost as the participants of the experiment become stranded in this scenario which gets increasingly claustrophobic and desperate.
This series assembles a cast of some of the best actors Kenya has to offer, such as Kalasha Award winners: Foi Wambui from Crime and Justice, Peter Kawa from County 49, and Nice Githinji from The Caller. Award-winning filmmaker Philippa Ndisi-Herrmann, known for her work as a director, will be making her acting début on this series, with other notable names like Melvin Alusa and Melissa Kiplagat from Country Queen.
From one of the most seasoned writers in Brian Munene, known for works such as Crime and Justice and County 49, Subterranea explores themes that the Kenyan audience relates to rather strongly.
“We have eight individuals with very different personalities stuck in a bunker and they have to find a way to work together to survive, so themes of family and unity come out very strongly,” Munene explained in an interview with Showmax.
It also tackles wider issues of society: male postpartum depression, PTSD among the armed forces, and even the influence of cults in Kenya are stories rarely addressed on Kenyan television.
Who is the director of Subterranea?
The director behind the yet-to-be-released Subterranea, Likarion Wainaina is no stranger to the frontiers of Kenyan cinema. His previous work, Supa Modo, has been internationally acclaimed and is Kenya's first superhero film to have won over 50 international awards. This includes the Artistic Bravery Prize at the Durban International Film Festival 2018.
With this, Wainaina has gone on to newer turf, probing the changes in human behavior induced by extreme isolation.
“I’m always keen on experimenting with genres. In 2018, we made Kenya’s first superhero film with Supa Modo. Six years later, we are presenting Kenya’s first-ever sci-fi series,” Wainaina told Showmax.
Produced by Kibanda Pictures in Nairobi and co-produced by Wainaina and series creator Brian Munene, the series is also part of Showmax's broader strategy to ramp up its local production slate, a message MultiChoice CEO of General Entertainment, Nomsa Philiso drove home at Mip Africa.
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Subterranea will debut on Showmax on 26 September 2024.
Keep reading Soap Central for more updates and scoop on Subterranea, as Kenya's first-ever sci-fi series sweeps viewers with its themes.
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