COUNTRY QUEEN is a family drama series set in contemporary Kenya and will be the first original dramatic series produced in Kenya to premiere globally on Netflix.
The process to create the world of the series, the characters, the story elements and writing the shooting script for the pilot, was based around a process of learning-on-the-job and capacity building. Over the course of nearly two years, ten intensive and interactive workshops in different fields has ensured the highest quality level of production for COUNTRY QUEEN. The project’s goal was to create sustainable jobs in the media industry for young Kenyan creatives as well as to create an authentic Kenyan high quality series that could reach Africa and beyond. The language mix of Swahili-English will resonate not only in Kenya, but with the over 100 million Swahili speakers across the continent.
The story, although fictional, carries many elements of truth that speak to a range of issues affecting millions of people in Africa such as family disputes, land ownership, and exploitation.
The writing process for COUNTRY QUEEN was built on in-depth research. This research included conversations with activists, deep dive into articles and essays on local mining practices, small scale mining and underage miners in Kenya and generally in East Africa, as well as the land grabbing practices and land issues that affect families all over Africa.
With the financial support of German Government via DW Akademie, Good Karma Fiction, together with ten up and coming Kenyan writers/filmmakers developed the narrative of COUNTRY QUEEN. Good Karma Fiction is a Berlin/Germany based film production company, lead by Peter Obrist, Waltraud Ehrhardt, and Ravi Karmalker, who are the executive producers and showrunners of COUNTRY QUEEN.
COUNTRY QUEEN is based on a David vs Goliath plot that pits ordinary Kenyans against a large power that threatens to destroy their homes and lives. The issues of land grabbing and exploitation form the tapestry against which the fractured personal lives and relationships of our main characters play out. COUNTRY QUEEN also focuses on the stories and lives of those most often overlooked, such as the Akamba tribe and (in general) the rural populations of Kenya.
The Kenyan cast and crew of COUNTRY QUEEN reflect a mix of well-known and loved personalities as well as rising stars in the industry. This high-quality internationally released series will set a new benchmark for Kenyan series and create new opportunities for this rapidly growing industry.
COUNTRY QUEEN Series Season 1 was co-financed by German-French cultural channel Arte/ZDF, German Government/DW Akademie, a private investor and Netflix.
COUNTRY QUEEN will be available for streaming in 190 countries on Netflix from 15 July 2022.
