The cast and creative team behind Tides, a new Kenyan music romance drama set along the Coast, on Saturday met fans in Mombasa during a special cast meet-and-greet held at Nyali Cinemax.

The event brought together film enthusiasts and members of the production team for an interactive session celebrating the locally produced feature film, which premiered in Kenyan cinemas earlier this month.

Tides is a feature film written and directed by Kenyan filmmaker Reuben Odanga and produced by Multan Production Limited. The film premiered nationally on August 8 and is now showing in cinemas. 

Set along the Kenyan Coast, the 120-minute film follows Salma and Biko, a musician couple whose livelihood is devastated by the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. With beach hotels closed, live music opportunities disappearing and their daughter facing an urgent heart surgery, the couple is pushed into difficult choices to survive.

The film stars Sarah Hassan as Salma, Brian Kabugi as Biko, Dumisani Mbebe as Morgan and Minnie Kariuki Njuguna as Brenda. The production brings together Kenyan and South African talent in a story that explores love, poverty, survival, grief and the complicated relationships that can develop between tourists and locals at the Coast.

Odanga says the film seeks to explore the realities behind such relationships without passing easy judgment on the characters.

“Moral choices are rarely black and white,” the filmmaker says in his director’s statement, explaining that Tides examines the intersection of poverty, desire, power and survival.

Music is central to the film, with the soundtrack blending Afro-soul, jazz and coastal Swahili rhythms to reflect the emotional journey of the characters. Award-winning Kenyan singer-songwriter Silayio Kirisuah serves as music director and composer.

The Mombasa cast engagement comes as Tides continues its cinema run across Kenya. The film has also attracted attention for its attempt to explore new commercial opportunities for locally produced films, including cinema screenings, music streaming and special screenings for universities and private audiences.