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Anam's Wake, a Kenyan psychological thriller by Likarion Wainaina, premieres at Prestige Cinema on 31 July 2026. A haunting story of grief, ritual and family secrets.
A Kenyan psychological thriller rooted in African mourning traditions is about to make its mark. Anam's Wake, written and directed by award-winning filmmaker Likarion Wainaina, premieres at Prestige Cinema on Friday, 31 July 2026, with additional screenings on 1 and 2 August 2026.
If you are looking for a film that goes beyond surface-level storytelling, this is it.
The premise is quietly electrifying. Anam is a professional mourner, a woman trained to summon Death and negotiate the passage of souls. She is skilled at guiding others through grief but has spent sixteen years completely numb to her own after losing her mother. When she is assigned her first solo ritual at the home of the influential Ebale family, what begins as a solemn wake unravels into something far more chilling.
Death arrives ahead of schedule. Family secrets spill into the open. And what was supposed to be a ritual for someone else turns into a deeply personal reckoning, forcing Anam to finally confront the truth she has been running from.
The film features a standout ensemble cast including Marima Wanjiru as Anam, alongside Samson Omondi, Peter Kawa, Vanessa Okeyo, Ruth Apondi, Pras Jadi, Gathoni Mutua and Brenda Ngeso. Each character carries the weight of secrets, and the performances, by all accounts, do not disappoint.
Behind the lens is cinematographer Enos Olik, with the film produced by Wanjiru Njoroge, whose vision was clear from the start.
"Anam's Wake is the kind of film I entered this industry to make," she has said. "It is a story about grief, family secrets, identity and a young woman navigating the tension between tradition and her own path. What drew me to the project was its trust in silence and the emotional weight carried in what remains unsaid."
That trust in silence is also evident in what Likarion Wainaina brings to the project. He is best known for directing Supa Modo, which premiered at the 2018 Berlin International Film Festival, won over 60 international awards, and became Kenya's official submission to the 91st Academy Awards. He also made history with Between the Lines, Kenya's first film ever projected on an IMAX screen, and has directed acclaimed productions including Crime and Justice, MTV Shuga Mashariki and Kenya's first sci-fi series, Subterrania. As co-founder of Kibanda Pictures, his commitment to authentic African storytelling has never been in question.
With Anam's Wake, he draws from a personal place.
"This film was born from my own journey through grief," he has shared. "After attending numerous burials in early 2024, I became fascinated by the way sorrow often stays hidden, only to return with overwhelming force later. Unprocessed grief waits in the shadows, ready to consume us."
That emotional honesty is what makes the film feel different. Anam's Wake is not just a thriller in the conventional sense. It explores how grief is passed down through generations, how tradition and trauma can coexist in the same room, and how death in many African communities is not an ending but a negotiation.
Drawing on extensive cultural consultation, the film offers a portrayal of African mourning rituals that feels authentic rather than performative.
At its core, this is a story about what happens when we delay emotional truth for too long, and what it costs us when it finally catches up.
Anam's Wake premieres at Prestige Cinema on 31 July 2026. Screenings continue on 1 and 2 August 2026. This is one to see on the big screen.
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