Director: Damien Hauser / Kenya, Switzerland / 2025 / 79 mins
Set in Umata, a futuristic African country, Memory of Princess Mumbi recounts a love triangle between a film director, an aspiring actress, and a prince.
In 2093, filmmaker Kuve visits Umata to document the aftermath of a war that revived ancient kingdoms. There, he meets Mumbi, who challenges him to make a film without the use of AI. As Kuve searches for his own voice, he begins to realise that even in a broken world, beauty can be found in the small human moments we often overlook.
In this world created by Damien Hauser, expect the unexpected, and watch as the film falls in and out of normal script conventions and just… wonder!
“Memory of Princess Mumbi is also simply a joy to watch, primarily because Hauser and his collaborators have let their imaginations run wild in a way a Hollywood studio or even the international workshop circuit would never allow. The AI creations are highly imaginative, the ‘plot’, with its film-within-a-film-within-a-film structure, is deliciously intricate, and Hauser is not afraid to throw in a musical number, a nod to silent cinema, made-up biographies of non-existing filmmakers, and animated art.” – International Cinephile Society
“Extremely layered and steeped in Kenyan music and culture and offers moments of pure wonder. An original sci-fi film made in Africa…” – Cineeuropa
Winner: Swiss Film Prize 2026
Official Selection Venice Film Festival 2025
