Movie on diabetes stigma to be released
B y A n n e A g wata A movie challenging the stereotypes associated with diabetes is set to hit our screens soon, Filamu Kenya can confirm.
Too Sweet is set to lay bare common stereotypes and challenges that diabetic people go through while running their affairs.
Too Sweet’ s main actor, Gerald Langiri, revealed the motivation behind him taking up the role which is different from his usual comic ones.
“ My mum happens to be diabetic and I could therefore relate. I am also pre-diabetic and if I am not careful, I might get diabetes in the future,” he notes.
“ The chance to be part of a project that has a social message was one I could not let pass.”
Langiri plays the role of Jim, a young man who is forced to grapple with the reality that he is diabetic even though he is unaware of how this will change his life.
He hides his insulin tabs, and nobody knows what is going on in his life. Even his closest friend Raphael( Sam Kihiu), a man who knows no embarrassment, is kept in the dark about Jim’ s health.
Jim’ s life takes a twist when he falls in love with his coworker( Wahu Kariuki). Their simple office affair escalates to a point where they move in together. At this point, Jim has two options; confess to his true love that he has a lifethreatening yet manageable condition or lose her along with his life.
Will their love last? Will Grace be able to cope
10 with Jim and his condition?
Jim will lose his job, friends and dignity all in a bid to hide that he is diabetic.
According to the producer, Jamal Anjuri,“ Too Sweet” gives a wakeup call to the public, more so Kenyans, on how serious diabetes can be.
“ About five percent of deaths in Kenya are directly attributed to diabetes, the fourth leading cause of death globally,” says Anjuri.
“ The film touches on issues that affect diabetics- from stigma, mismanagement and an ignorant community regarding the disease” adds Anjuri.
Langiri, who was to play the role of Jim’ s friend Raphael,( who is comical), landed the role by sheer circumstance when the designated actor pulled out at the last minute.
“ Too Sweet gives a wakeup call to the public, and possibly Kenya, about how serious diabetes can be. It does not however take away that you are watching a movie. No, this is not your preachy type of movie about diabetes but gives a subtle look into the lives of many people who are diabetic,” adds Langiri, who is also known for his comical role in House of Lungula, Fundimentals, and Shit Happens!
“ Playing a character with real life scenarios was the difficult part. I had to do a lot of research on the condition and on patients who are diabetic and how they act when they get attacks,” he narrates.
“ For some days, I would not apply oil on my body just to make my skin look a bit dry. I even had to starve myself a little to get those irritable hunger pangs portrayed by some diabetic patients,” recounts Langiri.
Non-communicable diseases are the leading cause of
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