BAD CONTRACT: AWARD WINNING KENYAN FILMMAKER LIKARION WAINAINA REGRETS SIGNING AWAY RIGHTS FOR SUPA MODO FILM

By Cheptoek Boyo | June 11, 2020

Award winning film producer and director Likarion Wainaina regrets signing away his rights for internationally acclaimed film Supa Modo produced by One Fine Day Films and Ginger Ink Films.

Likarion says he was not forced to do it, “Let me first say that I do not own Supa Modo. Supa Modo is NOT my film, at least it no longer is, it is a film that I wrote (the story) and directed.

I signed off ALL the rights to it. IP rights, remake rights, adaptation rights everything. No one forced me to do it, no one tricked me into it. I went in knowing fully well what lies ahead. The terms of the contract were laid out clearly: – 1500/- per day for a year’s work. After you deliver final cut of the film that is it. You are done.

I deliberated a lot about it, Supa Modo (at the time called Hero Origins) was my baby. A story I had with me for 3 years before being presented this contract in 2017. At the back of my mind I said,”Likarion, you will own and control your next film so just do it”. So, I signed it, for my second feature. It was and still is one of/if not the greatest opportunity of my entire life.”

He says while the film was winning awards internationally he could not afford to pay for food, “I love Supa Modo with all my heart and saying otherwise would be a great disservice to the cast and crew who worked their behinds off to get it done and also to the audience who have invested their emotion with the film and embraced it fully.

Supa Modo broke me mentally, physically and emotionally let me explain. When the film was done and the festival circuit round the world came those expenses were going to be on me. The festival will cater for your flight and accommodation only. All I had on me in 2018 was the money (from the contract) from 2017 to work with.

So, I struggled to get visa fees, food money, pocket money it was just too insane but I pushed myself because I needed to go to those festivals to market my Baby, to make contacts etc all for my next film but back home I couldn’t secure work.”

When Supa Modo won 15,000 euros, Wainaina did not receive any payment, “Everyone assumed that I was an expensive Director now, I mean Supa Modo is killing it at the box office and bringing in loads of cash. Little did they know that I do not receive any part of those millions.

I was out of work mostly so the traveling then got depressing for me. Going to a foreign land with sometimes just 3k in your pocket to last you 5-7days was starting to get to me. Smiling for the cameras and festivals, doing the interviews and the photo ops then going back to your hotel room to cuddle up in a corner to think of where my rent for next month will come from.

I once landed from a trip abroad where Supa Modo won 15000euros none of it going to me. I smiled for the cameras, gave my heart felt honest speech and took the award and I came home to find my house locked by my landlord and I just sat there, on my suitcase, holding that award outside my door for hours trying to master the courage to get up and push on.”

Likarion remembers a time he reached his breaking point and collapsed on set and was hospitalized, “This film was going to kill me. I couldn’t do it anymore. This wasn’t the life I wanted. My friends, noticing this, staged an intervention fearing that I would do something to myself. No, just no. As the success of the film became bigger the emptiness in my heart also got bigger.

I poured my entire heart out while making Supa Modo, being reminded daily that this was a ‘student film’ and that I was a ‘student’ there to learn but that was something I said no to. Even if it wasn’t going to be my film, I was going to make it mine, I fought everyday to defend the vision of the story I had.

Day in day out I stood up for what I felt the movie needed then one day my body gave in and I collapsed on set (at the cliff) and for the first time in my life I was hospitalised overnight, I had pushed myself to my limit.

Laying on that hospital bed as I went through 7 IV drips in a single night, I thought to myself “You will benefit from Supa Modo, so just push on. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity” so I went ahead and finished the film, and now after I have made my art, I was still going to collapse yet again from the strain of being jobless and penniless.

I had to stop, my bank was empty and so was I. To date I never truly recovered from the financial dent Supa Modo made in my life and now I start my career again, going back to TV directing to recover but I am scared. I am scared to make my next film.

Sacred of starting yet another unhealthy path. I need to benefit from my art. I am not going to make another film and not benefit. I will not make another film and sign off the rights again I have learnt that now. I am not going to make another film and destroy part of my sanity. So, enjoy Supa Modo now because I don’t know if I can make another film.”