When Silence Found Its Voice — A DocuBox Journey
I applied to DocuBox because The Chair That Listens needed space to grow. I wasn’t only seeking funding, I wanted mentorship, reflection, and the opportunity to stand alongside African filmmakers who carry urgent, personal stories.
For years, Sehag Africa worked in a familiar rhythm: make a film independently, then search for exposure. DocuBox flipped that rhythm. For the first time, we were invited to slow down, ask difficult questions, and shape the story with intention before lifting a camera.
Nairobi: A City in Motion, A Family in Film
I arrived in Nairobi on June 6, 2025, as the city pulsed with protests. Our first session quickly shifted online, a reflection of the charged atmosphere. But even before that, over a simple breakfast at Valley Heights in Kileleshwa with the DocuBox team and fellow filmmakers, I already sensed the true essence of what DocuBox represented.
It didn’t feel like entering a program; it felt like being welcomed into a family.
Lessons From the Lab
The generosity of the mentors surprised me most. They didn’t just critique; they listened. They offered time freely and shared hard truths with kindness, making them easier to carry.
Seeing their long-term projects reminded me that, documentary is not a sprint; it’s a slow, steady journey. That perspective humbled me deeply.
Directing Insights I’m Taking Forward
Silence is a tool, not an absence. I’ve come to see that what isn’t said often carries the deepest truth, shaping how audiences listen and lean in.
The film’s life begins after wrap. Distribution, conversations, and community impact are not add-ons — they are part of the storytelling itself.
Trust is the foundation. It must be built with participants, with audiences, and even with myself, as an ongoing compass in the creative process.
Directing is stewardship. Every choice holds people’s voices with care, because each decision shapes how they will be remembered.
Directing isn’t only creation—it’s stewardship.
Joining the Conversation
At the International Summit, we joined fellow filmmakers in listening to voices like Judy Kibinge, Philip Karanja, Brian Afande, and Cara Mertes reflect on the role of authorship and storytelling in African cinema.
For Shega Africa, the moment turned personal when My producer Aklilu Mattiwos, stepped onto the stage to present a gift and offer words of gratitude to DocuBox on our behalf. It was a simple gesture, yet it carried weight a quiet way of saying thank you and affirming Shega Africa’s place within the wider filmmaking community.
Small Moments That Stay
What stays with me just as much as the sessions are the late-night conversations with fellow filmmakers—sharing struggles, laughter, and dreams.
Even small cultural differences became joyful. In Ethiopia, we drive on the right; in Kenya, on the left. My colleagues kept trying to open the “wrong” car door, and we laughed until our sides hurt. As we joked with the cohort: “Stories cross borders easily—but car doors don’t.”
When Silence Found Its Voice
If I had to describe this journey in one phrase, it’s the title itself, When Silence Found Its Voice.
DocuBox humbled me as a director and transformed Shega Africa as a company. It reminded us that courage and persistence open doors, and that stories nurtured with trust and care can travel far beyond their origin.
Carrying The Chair That Listens Into the World
What excites me most now is imagining The Chair That Listens meeting audiences—sparking conversations about healing, listening, and community. That moment, when the story truly begins to live in the world, is what I look forward to most.
