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Good morning all,
And welcome to the 10th issue of the Cultural Reads Newsletter! A bi-weekly book, music, and movie recommendation from different countries all around the world.
In this weekâs newsletter: Egypt, Kenya & Finland
Rauli Badding Somerjoki was a famous Finnish rock musician who started his career in 1963. He formed a band called âThe Five Yesâ and continued solo in 1970.
Badding Somerjoki was an absolute rock star in every sense of the word. This meant police interruptions during concerts because of controversial lyrics, but also addictions and drinking problems.
At age 39, Rauli passed away due to alcohol-related diseases. Despite his short-lived life, he produced fantastic songs, including Parasiiti (Paradise) and Ikkunaprinsessa (Window Princess).
The songs are a great way to get rid of your winter blues!
I Am Samuel is the latest work of journalist and television documentarian Pete Murimi. Murimi has worked in the industry for over 20 years and won multiple awards for his contributions to social injustice and human rights. His new documentary is no different.
I Am Samuel shows the struggles of a young gay man in Kenya. Samuel grew up in a rural religious family but found his community and freedom in the big city of Nairobi. Although Samuel is content with his new life, his family struggles to accept his lifestyle and relationship with Alex.
Shortly after being released, the Kenyan Film Classification Board banned the movie stating it violated certain articles of the Penal Code and Constitution. Itâs not the first time that this has happened. In 2018, the internationally acclaimed movie Rafiki (a love story about two Kenyan teenage girls) was also forbidden.
Luckily, both movies have received overwhelming international attention, supporting the LGBTQ+ community and reopening the discussion around LGBTQ+ rights in Kenya.
You can rent both movies for a few dollars through the following links: Rafiki, I Am Samuel.
Nawal El Saadawi was an Egyptian feminist, writer, activist, physician, and psychiatrist. She graduated as a medical doctor, had a masterâs in public health, and received honorary degrees on three continents.
As a child, she already opposed a male-dominated society. That resistance only grew when she saw the destructive effects of oppressive and patriarchal practices as a doctor.
In 1981, Saadawi co-published a feminist magazine called Confrontation, which led to her arrest by President Sadat. She later encountered more hostility and had to flee Egypt in 1993.
Saadawiâs time in jail formed the basis for her memoir, Memoirs from the Womenâs Prison. Nine years before that, however, another prisoner inspired her to write the novel Woman at Point Zero.
Woman at Point Zero tells the life story of Firdaus, a strong woman facing the injustices of society reigned by patriarchal oppression. Although itâs a short read, only 128 pages, itâs a heartfelt and inspiring story that cannot leave you unmoved.
