 Before keeping us company, this is Lifestyle Wednesday and tonight we will be looking at the talent and the gift of one Brenda Kananu. She's an actress and a model. We want to understand how does she feel? How is the society out there? How is the business there? Is this something she wants to continue, keep it Y25? For sending your comments or reactions to all our social media platforms at Y254 Channel, my handle is at Morani Hileri. Lifestyle Wednesday begins with this discussion tonight. Welcome. How are you? I'm fine. Thank you. Karibu Sana. Asante Sana. Now, you're a model and an actress. I want to begin with modeling. When did this begin? Actually, I am a student, a model and an actress. Modeling began when I was 19 years old, that is last year. It began at around March 23rd. That is when I did my first pageant. It was first challenging because I didn't know what is expected of me. I didn't know where to begin but with confidence, resilience and determination, you always get by. And how was it now facing the crowd and knowing you're doing it? Maybe were you brand ambassador for something? Actually, modeling gives you a platform to build your self-esteem and to build your personality. I do pageants, though there are many categories of modeling. That is there is high fashion where you get to showcase clothes lengths or accessories or clothes. There's also a commercial where you do advice and all those things. Then pageants is where you look for a project to do. You compete for crowns with other girls. You get a project to do that will help the society. So I chose pageants because I have a passion to give back to the society. So that's why I chose pageants. But I've only done one actually. How many people are you competing with? I was competing with around 18 young girls, very fresh in campus actually. I didn't win though I was the finalist. It is really tough because you get to compete with a lot of girls from different backgrounds, from different heights, different skin tones, different complex, different everything, different complexions, personalities. Alright, and what pushed you now to modeling? Something that pushed me into modeling. It is something that I've always wanted to do since I was little. I used to watch the television, watch the Miss Kenya documentary when it was being shown on TV. So slowly by slowly my interest started building up. Then after high school when I went to campus I decided to pursue it as a part-time thing while I'm not in school. I'm doing modeling instead of indulging in other things that cannot help me. And so far how do you feel? Is it something you want to continue or? Yes, definitely. I must win crowns. I must do projects. Yeah, it's something that I want to do maybe till I get to that, maybe, most probably. You said you participated in one. Others that you have maybe now participated in the actual time? I have only done one. That is Miss Multimedia University of Kenya. Oh, Multimedia? Yes. Then I've also done some runways that is high fashion. The gigs are held, you can run, you can do the same instead of depending on your parents every time to send you money. So you did something you can do. Okay, maybe I'll take advantage of your presence here and ask, is it only something done by people who are kind of slender or we have others? Okay, as I've said, modeling has different categories. High fashion really has restrictions. You have to be tall enough. You have to be tall, really tall, like six foot, five, eight, five, seven, but it depends though. But pageants don't have too much restrictions because, but they don't need you to be too short. Just be tall enough for them, for the pageant. Yeah, but with weight, you really have to work hard. No, lose weight. You have to be slender. That is in pageants in high fashion. You have to hit the gym, work out, keep fit, but coming to commercial, anyone can do commercial if you're tall, short, if you're plump or slender, you can do commercial. Commercial is for everyone. Okay, you said you'd want to continue with this. Now, have you maybe interacted with other people from other groups? Have you joined these organizations that you maybe would help you or are you still searching? This, I think that I joined whatever, what is it called, sorry, an agency, modeling agency, but I didn't manage to pull along with them. I had to drop out because I let be independent actually. I had to pull out of the agency and start working alone because if you are in an agency, they will require you to be committed every time and that means cool and also acting so I cannot have that time for agency every time. So it's better to grow myself slowly You just mentioned studies which will take me now to the next phase where you want to be an actress. You have been featured in the first letter. It's the last letter, sorry. Yeah, the last letter, sorry, yeah. You're getting into acting. Much of your time will be required. How do you think you will pull out to this? I think everything requires discipline whereby you get to know what is important. First, you get to prioritize your staff, like doing the right thing at the right time. If it's time for school, you go to school, attend all your classes. If it's, you know, in campus you don't have to read all the time, like maybe you have two lessons that is four hours per day. So the other time, instead of getting into drugs or bad company, you can just try something new. Like me, I want acting and pageantry. Okay, now tell us about the last letter. How did you get to it? How is it? And how do you feel working with now new people because this is something that you're trying? Yes, I have started acting actually three months ago when I went for long holiday and then I was called for auditions for the last letter. It's a short film. It's a very interesting film actually. So I auditioned and then I got in luckily by God's grace and then I acted, okay, actually I act flashback. The story is really nice. So I'm acting a flashback of someone's lover. Okay, this old man is regretting a life he didn't live. So I act flashback. I was a girlfriend when he was young. But he stood me up on our wedding day. So I'm like acting his flashback. But later I died. So Ananda, he usually goes to the cemetery to place flowers in my grave. I went in my grave, sorry. And then maybe I had a second chance to live a better life maybe. So that's the story going actually. Now being your first time, is this something that you blend in faster or you had that talent in acting? Actually acting is about not exactly talent but also skill. If you're able to master your skill really quickly you can actually blend in because there are so many people who are talented out there but they're not getting any opportunity. But how determined you are and how easy you are able to learn the skills that are required to act so it determines your position in the acting industry. Alright, I still make a reference to this because it's just your first time. How have you reacted or interacted with the producer and the director on set? Actually it is a very interesting matter because they are really strict on you. If you do the... We are given scripts to practice earlier to the director. When he has before. So they are really strict. If you don't get your lens straight you have to redo and redo and redo. So you have to really be cooperative during our waste time if you don't cooperate. Getting into film industry. What is your field? Are you joining a place where there have been problems? Media houses in this country have been called to play local content. This is one of the local contents. Has it been shown anywhere? And how do you feel having seen your cell phone screens? Okay, it feels good actually. It is such a nice privilege. The last letter it was premiered on Sunday. That is Nijuzi. Yeah, first. It was premiered at IMAX. That is IMAX Angadiamod Plaza, UMX Kwaapo, Parklands. That was where it was screened. It was first screened. And then it is really interesting because I have gone to a lot of TV interviews last Saturday. I was on a TV station also talking about the same. Today I'm on another. So it is a really nice opportunity. It is giving me exposure and experience. So I like it. So it is something that you want to push too? Yeah, definitely. Alright. Which other kind of films do you want to be featured in? I really want to go local at this point. I really want to work with Kenyan producers. Do some more local things. So that at least one day when I'm old enough maybe I'll be somewhere on the global map because you have to start somewhere. Alright. So far some of the challenges that you feel they have limited you. What would you say they are? It is very time consuming. You have to sacrifice a lot because when I was called to act I had to travel from place to place that is such a cost. I had to undo my hair to keep an afro. You see there are a lot of inconveniences. I've been gone for three days and then I have to undo. You see their cost. For everything to become alright you have to undergo costs and challenges. One of the challenges as a nation we've been facing is where our parents believed school is everything. We used to act and dance but it was nothing. Now you're in school and you're still acting and you're doing modeling. Now would you leave your career the one you're not undertaking to undergo acting? Would you suffer that for acting? Okay. So currently I'm doing a Bachelor's of Degree in Journalism Studies. So I think it blends in because I'm supposed to be a TV girl or a radio presenter. So acting is so much of being on screen that is same as journalism. So I think I wouldn't leave my profession because in a blend in maybe if I was doing medicine and then it's kind of hectic to blend in with acting and those some people really do it but I think for now it really blends in. So I do not really have to sacrifice my career. And what's your take on those who have nothing else other than acting? Is it something that you could push for a lifetime? Would you say it's something that pays? Currently because I have just started I really do not know about the prices and the pays and the salaries and the which is not good enough acting but right now we are trying to sell the movie so that we can get profits from it but I think acting can really pay if we get support from local people from Kenyans because we have to push our own content instead of a lot of Kenyans watch Afro cinema which is Nigerian content and Ghana content from Ghana we really do not concentrate on the Kenyan whatever the Kenyan films and movies but if we work hand in hand to push it I think we can be really somewhere. What would you say is the reason as to why we will find ourselves watching foreign content other than our content? We have good script writers do we have good actors and actors? Totally there's talent everywhere but the talent has not been tapped yet also there's lack of skill whereby people are talented but they do not have the skill to put out their talents out there also there's lack of filming equipment how can equipments poison because they are expensive so instead of people find it hard to invest in films do you want to know it's expensive so that's why you find it hard for Kenyans that is our Kenyan filmmakers choosing to stay aside and let the Nigerians in the Bollywood Hollywood do their own stuff Now maybe as you wind up what would be your call what would you want to see in the film industry in our country from the government from every stakeholder including now the producers and directors that you'll be meeting in the near future? I would like to see cooperation I would like to see people really coming out with genuine talents to act, to sing because film is about a lot it is diverse because you see in the movie that I'm featured in it is a musical there's some part that we're singing so we do not only need actors we also need musicians in the same field so I would like to see cooperation I would like to see tapped talents I would like to see Kenyans watching Kenyan films Kenyans playing Kenyan music but we also have to as the actresses, actors filmmakers in Kenya we really have to give good content less content to the world because there's no one to attend when the content is on the phone that's what we need maybe you'll find out where we can find this first film where you've been featured and do you expect more? first we are working on some more projects Sahi it is not yet out it has been premiered already but at today's YouTube somewhere we first want to sell it out if you watch YouTube before you can access it now we won't get so much profit from it so we are just working on the everything to make sure that it's out there but after we get profits it is when you put it on on YouTube right now it's not out okay many things for keeping as a company and she has been my guest Kanano she has been featured in the last letter film it's a short film you said and she's hoping to grow into this industry we are wishing you all the very best and we are hoping to see you more screens and your dream of becoming a TV girl will come through someday thank you so much for keeping us company back home my name is Dereva Hillary have yourself a very good night goodbye