BFI IMAX screens short film about non-binary parenthood starring Ki Griffin

The remarkable true story of the first openly non-binary parent to successfully adopt a child in the UK has inspired a stunning immersive film, KINDRED, starring Hollyoaks’ Ki Griffin, now screening as part of the StoryTrails Residency at BFI IMAX from 23 September to 2 October.

Selected in competition for the Venice International Film Festival 2022 and nominated for two awards at the Raindance Film Festival, KINDRED is an animated virtual reality story of family and belonging. The trailer can be viewed at https://youtu.be/jaI7irvT5pk.

Highlighting the unique challenges faced by non-binary parents in the UK’s outdated adoption process, KINDRED tells the true story of the brave non-binary parent who helped redefine the meaning of family in this country.

Starring Ki Griffin, known for their portrayal of Ripley Lennox, the first non-binary character to appear in a British soap, KINDRED uses virtual reality to place the viewer inside of Syd’s perspective as they navigate the complexities of the UK’s adoption process, experiencing first-hand the highs and lows of a dream shared by so many.

After applying to become a parent, we (as Syd) are faced with a system that makes us feel hopeless. As people around us find their match and build a family, we are stuck in the same position for more than a year. Finally, after numerous close calls and more than 150 rejections, one child comes to the fore: a gender questioning child named Ollie. The wheels are put in motion. Eventually, Syd and Ollie’s relationship is legally solidified by the courts and the parent-child relationship is created—in one moment we become a family.

Created by Electric Skies, the award-winning immersive content production company, KINDRED was written and directed by Bambou Kenneth, marking her directorial debut, and produced by Tessa Ratuszynska. The piece was animated by multi-award-winning animation studio Salamandra.uk and features original music by ILĀ co-founder of the UK’s first ever professional trans+ choir, Trans Voices.

Bambou Kenneth, Writer and Director, said: “When I first learnt about Syd’s story I was captivated by their unwavering perseverance to achieve their dream of becoming a parent, even when presented with systemic hurdles and totally against the odds. That kind of courage speaks to me and I hope to our audience, regardless of their social or political views.

“KINDRED is a personal story that is highly emotive. It was essential for me to surround myself with a diverse team, so we had lots of people from the LGBTQ+ community with a particularly strong non-binary representation for this project. There was always an open space for people on the team to share their personal take and experiences throughout the creative process.

“I wanted to use virtual reality to tell this story because there’s a particular intimacy in VR – a unique connection between audience and character – that is quite unlike other mediums.”
Ki Griffin added: “When I heard about KINDRED, I knew it was a project that I wanted to be a part of. As a non-binary person, parenthood is often the last thing on my mind because there are so few examples of it in the media. KINDRED explores the highs and lows of non-binary parenthood, putting a much needed spotlight on gender diversity within family units by showing that everyone deserves love and family support.”

ILĀ, Composer, commented: “The music for KINDRED was made using mostly my voice in a kind of call and answer dialogue to represent Syd and Ollie but also how our voices as trans+ non-binary people are in dialogue with the dominant culture. My voice is so precious to me – we have been through a lot together and it’s been incredibly liberating for me to finally be really embracing the full gender agnostic nature of my voice. It has been an incredible journey to be able to use it in such an instinctive way to respond to Syd and Ollie’s story, Ki’s narration of it, and the stunning, poetic yet playful universe Bambou has created. This whole piece has been a wonderful reminder that queer joy is an act of resistance.”
Electric Skies was commissioned to create KINDRED by StoryFutures as one of nine projects forming part of StoryTrails, a unique immersive storytelling experience for audiences in 15 towns and cities across the UK in the summer of 2022.