Rafiki is a 2018 Kenyan drama film directed by Wanuri Kahiu. The film is inspired by Ugandan Monica Arac de Nyeko's 2007 Caine Prize-winning short story Jambula Tree and tells the story of romance between two young women, Kena and Ziki, amidst family and political pressures around LGBT rights in Kenya. The film's title "Rafiki" (meaning "friend" in Swahili) was chosen, because due to homophobia, people in same-sex relationships often are compelled to introduce their partner as a "friend".
The film had its international premiere in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival; it was the first Kenyan film to be screened at the festival. In explaining her choice of story, Kahiu said:
"My first and foremost concern was to find a love story. This is what I wanted to do. When I came across Jambula Tree—because of the texture and nuances, the profound love that the main characters had for each other—I wanted to tell this story. Even though it’s a hard subject because it’s taboo—two girls falling in love with each other in a country where this is outlawed—it was very important for me to tell a love story because that’s what it is: how true love can triumph above everything."