The Kenyan High Court on Friday temporarily lifted a ban on “Rafiki,” director Wanuri Kahiu’s lesbian coming of age romance, making the film eligible for the 2019 Academy Awards.
“I am not convinced that Kenya is such a weak society that it cannot handle a gay theme. There are Kenyans who paid the ultimate price for the freedoms we enjoy today,” judge Wilfrida Okwany said in her ruling, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The court ruled that “Rafiki” can be screened until Sept. 30, enough time to for a seven-day theatrical run, a requirement to be considered as the country’s submission for the best foreign-language Oscar.