ENG
Assistant Professor of Film

Dianga, Rachael, PhD.

Dr Rachael Diang’a is an Assistant Professor of Film. She holds a PhD in Film Technology and has over fifteen years’ experience in film research and scholarship. Her research interests lie within African Cinema. She is the author of the first book on Kenyan Cinema: African Re-creation of Western Impressions: A Focus on the Kenyan Film (2011) and several journal articles/book chapters on Postcolonial and African Cinema. In practice, she has made a mark in the film industry through her contribution as a film maker, film workshop trainer and mentor, film critic and adjudicator in several film festivals including FilmAid International Film Festival, Udada International women’s Film Festival and Kenya National Drama Festivals (Film Genre). Diang’a has produced and/or directed several films including: Our Strength (2012), The Invisible Workers (2013) and Drugnets (2015)Mad Love (2018). Her film production interests are in Scriptwriting, Directing, Acting, Production. She is a member of several professional guilds including, Association of Media Women in Kenya (AMWIK), Kenya Film and Television Professionals Association (KFTPA), Kenya Scriptwriters Guild (KSG) and a member of CODESRIA
Location

Nairobi, Kenya

More Details

AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION

  • New Media; Social media,
  • Social Network Sites;
  • Development communication;
  • Risk communication,
  • Behavior change Communication and Mass Communication Theory.

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS

  • 2013: PhD in Film Technology
  • 2007: Master of Arts in Literature / Film Studies
  • 2002: Bachelor of Education (Arts) – Literature and English

COURSES TAUGHT

  • Postcolonial Film
  • Scriptwriting
  • Film Production
  • Film Directing
  • Fundamentals of Photography and Cinematography
  • Film Theory and Criticism
  • African Cinema.

PUBLICATIONS

Journal Articles

  1. Diang’a, Rachael. “Viusasa and Film Distribution in Kenya” in Jahazi:Culture, Arts Performance – Arts for Social Change Vol. 7, Issue 1, 2018 www.twawezacommunications.org
  2. Diang’a, Rachael, “Themes in Kenya Cinema: Seasons and Reasons” in Cogent Arts & Humanities Vol. 4, Issue 1, 2017 http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/23311983.2017.1334375
  3. Diang’a, Rachael, “Message Films in Africa: A Look into the Past” in Cogent Arts & Humanities Vol. 3, Issue 1, 2016 http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23311983.2016.1146109
  4. Diang’a, Rachael. “Cinematographic Techniques in Three Kenyan Films” in Journal of African Cinemas. Vol. 7, Issue 2, 2015 www.intellectbooks.com
  5. Diang’a, Rachael, Charles Kebaya & Wangari Mwai. “Community Theatre and Development Practices in the Nyanza Region of Kenya” in Journal of Pan-African Studies, Vol. 8, No. 6, September 2015. http://www.jpanafrican.com/vol8no6.htm
  6. Diang’a, Rachael. “Ngugi wa Thiong’o’s Language of African Theatre Re-visited” in International Journal of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, Vol. 2, No. 5, December 2014. http://www.ijlass.org/data/frontImages/gallery/Vol._2_No._9/5._48-52.pdf
  7. Diang’a, Rachael, “The Status of Women in Kenyan Film” in Jahazi: Culture, Arts, Performance – ‘Reflections on the Creative Economy in Kenya’Vol. 2, Issue 1, 2015 www.twawezacommunications.org
  8. Diang’a, Rachael, “Two Years of Film Festival for Schools: An Adjudicator’s Take” in Edufilmer Magazine, April-September 2014 Edition

Books:

  1. Diang’a, Rachael. African Re-creation of Western Impressions: A Focus on the Kenyan Film. Saarbrucken:LAP, 2011.

Book Chapters:

  1. Diang’a, Rachael. “Cinematographic Techniques in Three Kenyan Films” in Journal of African Cinemas. Vol. 7, Issue 2, 2015 www.intellectbooks.com
  2. Diang’a, Rachael, Charles Kebaya & Wangari Mwai. “Community Theatre and Development Practices in the Nyanza Region of Kenya” in Journal of Pan-African Studies, Vol. 8, No. 6, September 2015. http://www.jpanafrican.com/vol8no6.htm
  3. Diang’a, Rachael. “Ngugi wa Thiong’o’s Language of African Theatre Re-visited” in International Journal of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, Vol. 2, No. 5, December 2014. http://www.ijlass.org/data/frontImages/gallery/Vol._2_No._9/5._48-52.pdf
  4. Diang’a, Rachael, “The Status of Women in Kenyan Film” in Jahazi: Culture, Arts, Performance – ‘Reflections on the Creative Economy in Kenya’Vol. 2, Issue 1, 2015 www.twawezacommunications.org
  5. Diang’a, Rachael, “Two Years of Film Festival for Schools: An Adjudicator’s Take” in Edufilmer Magazine, April-September 2014 Edition

FILM PRODUCTION

  1. Producer/Director/Executive Producer – Drugnets (2015) A Fahari Films Documentary film on drug and substance abuse among primary school children in Kisumu County.
  2. Producer/Director – The Invisible Workers (2013) A Fahari Films documentary film on Capacity Building for Domestic Workers, funded by IDAY Kenya.
  3. Continuity/Costume/Make-up Artist – Uhiki (2012), A documentary film on Traditional Culture and Environmental Conservation, Directed by Matrid Nyagah and Produced by Kimani Njogu at AHADI Kenya with support from Rockfeller Foundation. Available at www.twawezacommunications.org
  4. Producer and Storywriter – Our Strength (2012) A Twaweza Communications film produced with Support from Ford Foundation.