Boxed
by Wanjiru Njendu
2021, Kenya/USA, 6 mins
12:15 pm on Sept 23, 2023
About the movie
English – Boxed is an award-winning fictionalized short film based on the true story of the terrifying daring escape of Henry “Box” Brown, an enslaved man who used creativity to escape from slavery in 1849 by mailing himself to freedom.
French – Boxed est un court métrage de fiction primé basé sur l’histoire vraie de l’évasion terrifiante et audacieuse d’Henry “Box” Brown, un esclave qui a utilisé sa créativité pour échapper à l’esclavage en 1849 en s’envoyant vers la liberté.
About the director
English — Wanjiru Njendu is an award-winning filmmaker whose creative imagination earned her the nickname ‘Magic’ at a young age. Her African and American upbringing influences her approach as a writer and director for film and television enabling her to have a versatile voice in both African stories and Western stories. This versatility led to her being chosen as a fellow in the Producer’s Guild of America Diversity workshop. Her award-winning short film Boxed played over 200 film festivals, with numerous wins and nominations. Boxed was selected for the 2021-2022 Nuits en Or – Académie des César. Her other films have played in over 100 Festivals. Wanjiru was honored by the Roxbury International Film Festival with the 2021 Rox Vision Award. Wanjiru directed a horror short Stray, which was acquired by 20th Digital Studios with a feature option. She was the shadowing director on the Netflix series “Daybreak”. During the pandemic she filmed a climate action docs-series Built for Good Africa created by her sister Built for Good Africa featuring Green Buildings in Africa. She is currently developing several scripted film and television projects. Wanjiru is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS)