This show is sold out. To join the wait list, click on "Seat Map" and then scroll down PAST the red "Add to Cart" button until you see the blue "sign up" button under Waiting List.

How to Build a Library

World Cinema Documentary Competition

Two intrepid Nairobi women decide to transform what used to be a whites-only library until 1958 into a vibrant cultural hub. Along the way, they must navigate local politics, raise millions for the rebuild, and confront the lingering ghosts of Kenya’s colonial past.

Shiro and Wachuka have never tackled a project like this before, but their determination to redefine what the formerly whites-only McMillan Memorial Library can be pushes them through each challenge. Their friendship gives us a glimpse into their warm personalities, and their candidness about their frustrations draws us into their journey, making us feel like we’re right there with them.

Directors Maia Lekow and Christopher King capture the complicated work to restore a library and the deeper challenges of confronting colonial legacies. As the library team sifts through archival images, they face conflicting emotions of anger and appreciation, grappling with what aspects of this colonial history should be remembered and what can be left behind. When are compromises justified in the larger conversation about decolonization? The result is a nuanced exploration of legacy and reclamation that extends beyond the library’s walls.

Run time: 103 minutes

Language: English, Kiswahili with English subtitles