Every morning, I dedicate one hour to listening to interesting podcasts. One of these podcasts is Raydioactive, a vibrant and fresh Ugandan-based podcast by Raymond Kahuma. I discovered the film director Loukman Ali’s work on an episode of Raydioactive titled ‘The man behind the blind date’. After some digging into the director’s own Youtube channel, I was impressed enough to checkout his film ‘The Blind Date’.

The Blind Date is a crime drama set in Uganda which opens with a father’s attempt to negotiate a ransom for his kidnapped daughter. It is a chilling and mysterious opening. The acting is firm and convincing.

The protagonist in the film is the daughter whose role is played by Martha Kay. She’s being held by three men. One of the men, as we eventually realize, devises a plan to win over the daughter’s trust by pretending to also be a hostage. The girl develops a level of trust for this man, who paints himself as the hero, by killing his accomplices when the father settles the ransom. The tower of lies he tells, however, will not hold.

The production, opening sequence, camera quality, and the actors’ superb performance, reveal a thoroughness in Loukman Ali’s direction. It would not be an exaggeration to label this as one of the best short film I’ve watched. The film is part of a crime anthology which consists of six episodes. The Blind Date is the first of the six. If you enjoy Ali’s debut film for the anthology, you will love The girl in the yellow jumper which is yet another one of his masterpieces.

Loukman Ali’s vision is going to be something that shouldn’t go without recognition. East Africa’s got their own Steven Spielberg.

This review was originally published on the author’s ‘Medium page’ and has been edited for Mellowviews readership.