VideoBet, Ethiopia’s first arthouse cinema and film center, recently screened Memory of Princess Mumbi, an acclaimed Kenyan-Swiss science-fiction film utilising AI tools to demonstrate the immense creative potential of young African storytellers. The film was written, directed, and produced by 25-year-old prodigy Damien Hauser, who also served as editor and cinematographer.
Memory of Princess Mumbi has been launched across five East African countries simultaneously, with the goal of building a vibrant, connected regional cinema culture where moviegoers can celebrate groundbreaking homegrown stories together on the big screen. The film first made waves internationally at prestigious global festivals including Venice Days, Toronto (TIFF), and BFI London.
Set in a resurrected African kingdom in the year 2093, Memory of Princess Mumbi is a retro-futuristic sci-fi romance mockumentary about love, memory, and human connection. In 2093, European documentary filmmaker Kuve visits the African coastal realm of Umata for a project covering the effects of a major war that occurred in the 2070s. Neighboring regions, seeking to ban depression among their populations, have banned computer technology and reinstated traditional kingdoms as a form of governance. Mumbi, one of the locals Kuve recruits for his documentary, challenges him and his crew to make a film free of artificial intelligence. Kuve falls in love with Mumbi, but she is betrothed to Prince, ruler of a neighbouring kingdom. Six years later, Mumbi, now a princess reunites with Kuve, where unresolved romantic tensions unfold during the production of his new blockbuster.
As part of Bigger Motion’s long-term regional vision, the company is also actively exploring opportunities to bring Ethiopian feature films into its broader East African distribution network, creating a two-way cultural pipeline between Addis Ababa, Nairobi, Kigali, and beyond.
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