The 15-year-old star of a film about a schoolgirl forced into marriage is deeply passionate about her role, despite the risk of being ostracized by her community in north-western Kenya. Michelle, who grew up in Turkana where the film was shot, drew inspiration from local girls’ struggles to portray Nawi’s emotions, earning her the Africa Movie Academy Award for best promising actor. Despite having no prior acting experience, she thought she was joining a school drama. The film’s script, written by Milcah Cherotich, was inspired by Cherotich’s own childhood in Turkana and won a competition by Learning Lions.
Source: BBC
