Peres Owino is Bringing Back Nobility in African Storytelling

Receiving twelve nominations — the most for any show in this year’s awards — has been humbling for Owino, who describes writing as a vulnerable craft. “Putting something out into the world makes you feel exposed and uncertain,” she explains. “An award nomination briefly silences that feeling of being an imposter and gives you the motivation to keep moving forward, even though it never truly disappears.” It’s an ongoing wrestle, but Owino is a fighter.

In this interview, edited for length and clarity, Owino discusses her experience crafting Njinga’s story for the screen, emphasizing the importance of authentic storytelling, and the restoration of dignity to African heritage narratives.

OkayAfrica: Can you tell us the creative process of Njinga and what it was like going into it?

Peres Owino: The energy going into Njinga was that of positivity, and celebration. Who are these women, and why doesn’t the world know about them? Those are the questions we asked ourselves, and sought to answer. I’m grateful too that we had the wisdom to say we want female African voices and writers to write this story. It’s always wonderful when you’re working with people who are as curious as you are. We Africans have known the story of Njinga all our lives. It wasn’t a leap as to why we wanted to do this. We know who she is. We know the struggles she went through. We know that her story is a reflection of not just the African story, but [that] of humanity and what was happening at the time, and that’s what we wanted to capture.

As an East African, how do you navigate the responsibility of accurately portraying underrepresented historical figures like Njinga and bringing diverse narratives to a global audience?

It’s interesting that you say East African, which is geographically correct, but those boundaries on the maps weren’t created by me or people who look like me. I consider myself an African first. And as an African, I’m a gatekeeper. I’m representing my continent. I’m taking ownership and filling in a gap for somebody who could not be in this room for one reason or another. And that gap for me — and this is the most important thing — is very simple: to bring nobility back. Our job in this space as writers speaking for the African, whether it is present or ancestral, is to always make sure the nobility is placed there, where it belongs. I’m not saying create false narratives, but in everything you write, make sure that even when you’re representing the characters that are not likable, you give them their dignity, their nobility. That’s what telling our stories means to me.

How do you ensure authenticity in storytelling?

Collaboration is a huge deal to me, collaborating with the right people who are equipped to tell the story you’re trying to tell. You walk into a room that’s trying to tell a Ghanaian story or write a Ghanaian character; are there Ghanains in the room? You’re telling a Nigerian story, but how many Nigerians are in the room? So, for us doing [African Queens: Njinga], we had Queen Diambi. She’s the present-day Queen Njinga of Angola. We had her come into this space. We looked to her: ‘Tell us this, explain that.’ We’re all from the continent, but we don’t know all things, and so we collaborate. Even though I’m Kenyan, to tell a Kenyan story, I’d collaborate with other Kenyans because I don’t know all things Kenyan. This is also a part of what standing in the gap means, and bringing back nobility. It’s about taking responsibility for our stories. Not working in a vacuum. Seeking out people who are wiser than you in specific spaces, and ensuring authenticity along with entertainment.

What impact do you anticipate your portrayal of Njinga’s story will have on viewers, especially those unfamiliar with African history?

I hope that we can take our 21st century lenses, put them aside for a minute and just ask ourselves what would it have been like to be living at that moment in time, facing those kinds of obstacles. But more than anything else, I hope it inspires. Njinga was a princess, but she grew up in a kingdom that was only ever ruled by men. She became the first queen. This is a woman who pioneered a form of government, but she did it at the most inopportune time possible — at the height of the slave trade. It’s very hard to find people who are willing to stand and fill the gap, people who are willing to be the hero, people who are willing to face the fire when the world is falling around them. Njinga didn’t hide away. She picked up the challenge. She’s a reminder that in our darkest hours, that’s when you have to be at your bravest, and that’s what I hope people take away from her story.

Are you working on any project at the moment?

I have some feature films in the financing phase and a historical drama in the TV space. I’m developing something for South Korea. Also currently working on a movie called The Boy and the Elephant, which is a feature film that we’re doing out of France, and another called Here Be Lions with Gamont TV. I’m all over the place. I’m so curious about humanity. I want to listen, and go to the parts of the world whose stories I want to tell. I want to experience diverse communities.

I believe the job of art is to make us curious about one another. Who are these people? What can I tell about their story? I’m always asking myself these questions, because there are always meaningful stories to be told.