listen to the underpainting
A portrait of the life beneath the work.
Why this film matters…
Why stories about bipoc artists matter…
Listen to the Underpainting explores questions that are both deeply personal and universally human: How do we build a life around the things we love? How do we measure success? What do we owe ourselves, our families, and our dreams?
Through the story of Griff, a young painter living on the Kenyan coast, the film examines the realities of creative labor, the search for validation, and the tension between passion and survival. While Griff's story is rooted in a specific place and community, his experiences reflect challenges familiar to artists and dreamers around the world.
The film intentionally shifts attention away from narratives of crisis and toward the complexity of everyday life. By focusing on the ordinary moments that shape a person—friendship, work, family, uncertainty, ambition, and resilience—it invites audiences to recognize themselves in someone they may initially perceive as different.
At its core, the film is an exploration of what lies beneath the surface: beneath a smile, beneath a painting, and beneath the stories we tell ourselves about who we are becoming.
Artists help shape how communities see themselves and how cultures are remembered. Yet many BIPOC artists continue to face barriers to visibility, resources, and representation, both within the arts and in the broader public imagination.
Too often, stories about BIPOC communities are framed through hardship alone. While those experiences are real and deserving of attention, they do not represent the full spectrum of human experience. Creativity, humor, ambition, love, boredom, friendship, and artistic practice are equally important parts of our collective stories.
Documenting BIPOC artists expands our understanding of who creates culture, whose voices are heard, and what stories are considered worthy of preservation. These artists are not only responding to the world around them—they are actively shaping it.
By creating space for nuanced and human-centered portraits, we move beyond representation as symbolism and toward representation as reality: complex, contradictory, and fully alive.
The layers beneath are what make us
The layers beneath are what make us
Help Us Tell More Stories
Kijiji Sanaa is raising $15,000 to complete Listen to the Underpainting and establish the foundation for future documentary projects, artist stories, and community screenings.
This film was created through a collaboration of artists, filmmakers, and community members working across Kenya and the United States. Much of the production has been completed using rented, borrowed, and shared equipment. Our goal is not only to finish this film, but to build the capacity to tell many more stories in the years ahead.
Documentary Production Fund
Support the completion of Listen to the Underpainting and future Kijiji Films productions.
Needs include:
Camera equipment
Audio equipment
Lighting equipment
Hard drives and media storage
Editing software
Production supplies
By investing in equipment ownership, supporters help reduce production costs and allow future films to be produced more sustainably.
Donate equipment and receive a tax deduction
Post-Production & Distribution
Help bring the film to audiences around the world.
Needs include:
Editing
Color correction
Sound design
Music licensing
Closed captioning
Marketing and publicity
Film festival submission fees
Screening materials
Make a tax-deductible contribution
Transportation & Field Production
Documentary storytelling often requires travel, equipment transport, and site visits.
Needs include:
Reliable production vehicle
Fuel sponsorships
Vehicle maintenance support
Travel assistance
Equipment transportation
Kijiji Theater & Film Festival
We are beginning the development of Kijiji Theater, an outdoor gathering space that will serve as the future home of the Kijiji Sanaa Film Festival, community screenings, artist talks, and cultural programming.
Current needs include:
Land clearing services
Excavation and grading
Gravel and pathway materials
Outdoor seating
Projection equipment
Sound systems
Solar lighting
Volunteer labor
Professional Services & Expertise
Not every contribution is financial.
We welcome support from individuals and businesses with expertise in:
Marketing and public relations
Legal services
Accounting
Graphic design
Website development
Grant writing
Film distribution
Festival strategy
Build With Us
Whether through a financial contribution, equipment donation, professional service, vehicle sponsorship, or volunteer labor, your support helps create opportunities for artists and storytellers whose work deserves to be seen and heard.
Together we are building more than a film. We are building the tools, spaces, and relationships needed to tell stories for years to come.
What Your Support Makes Possible
$50 → Hard drives & media storage
$250 → Festival submission fees
$500 → Audio equipment
$1,000 → Editing & post-production support
$5,000+ → Major infrastructure, equipment, or theater development
