Award-winning Kenyan director Lekarion Wainaina returns to Showmax with his new sci-fi series, “Subterranea.” The streaming platform has unveiled a trailer for the eight-part series.
Wainaina, known for his award-winning supernatural thriller Supa Modu, brings together a stellar cast of Kenyan talent for this story-turned-psychological-tragedy, about eight participants trapped in an underground bunker after a global catastrophe.
The ensemble includes Kalasha Award winners Foi Wambui (“Crime and Justice”), Peter Kawa (“District 49”) and Nice Githinji (“The Caller”), along with nominees Melvin Alosa and Melissa Kiplagat (both “Country Queen”). Director Philippa Ndisi Herman makes her acting debut, and is joined by Makena Kahoha (“Keena”), Pico Nyongisa (“Sense 8”), Pauline Komo (“Groove Theory”), Kenyan Theatre Award winner Dadson Jakinga (“Subira”) and newcomer Chintu Chudasama.
“In Kenya, and perhaps elsewhere, there’s this misconception that science fiction always means the future or lots of laser guns, but science fiction can also be about exploring the impact of real or imagined science on human psychology or behavior. That’s what Subterranea is all about,” Wainaina said. “It’s not a futuristic show but a series where we dream about science and how our characters interact with it.”
The series is produced by Kibanda Pictures, and co-produced by Wainaina and creator Brian Munene, with Martin Kigondu (County 49) and Arnold Mwanjila (Taliya) as additional writers. “Subterranea deals with very human themes that our Kenyan audience will relate to,” said Munene, whose credits include “Crime and Justice” and “County 49.” “We have eight individuals with very different personalities stuck in a bunker and having to find a way to work together to survive, so themes of family and unity come through strongly.”
“There are also themes of broken institutions and mental health. We dug deep and asked ourselves, ‘What are some issues in Kenyan society that we don’t usually see on TV?’ So ‘Subterranea’ explores issues like postpartum depression in males, PTSD among our armed forces, and cults in Kenya and their impact on followers,” Munene added.
MultiChoice Studios is handling international sales for the series. “Subterranea” is scheduled to premiere on Showmax on September 26.
Watch the trailer here:
