At some point in their lives, every child has dreamed of being a superhero. We’re pretty sure most adults have thought about it once or twice too. But what does being a superhero actually mean?
Though we’ve become accustomed to the high-tech, super polished protagonists that have been the focus of blockbuster after blockbuster in recent years, Kenyan filmmaker Likarion Wainaina’s Supa Modo proves that earning such a title takes more than saving the day with a few extraordinary powers. And being a six-foot-two man dressed in a shiny, figure-hugging suit is absolutely not a prerequisite.
For young Jo (Stycie Waweru), her battle with childhood cancer looks like one she is set to lose. As she sits in her hospital bed, surrounded by posters of the fictional heroes she aspires to emulate, Jo’s physical health might be failing her, but her imagination is stronger than ever.
With her friend Kush (Jubilant Elijah) by her side, the two spend countless hours discussing their favourite on-screen personas, from Bruce Lee to the caped crusaders of the Marvel and DC cinematic universes, providing a brief reprieve from their own dance with mortality. When things start to deteriorate further for Jo, and palliation is on the cards, her mother Kathryn (Marrianne Nungo) decides enough is enough and defies doctors’ orders to bring her little girl home. Jo leaves Kush with her poster of Jackie Chan, promising that the actor will protect him, and waves goodbye to her friend, not knowing if they will see each other again.
Though her mother and older sister Mwix (Nyawara Ndambia) believe that Jo is largely unaware of the limited time she has left, they couldn’t be more wrong. She is wise beyond her years, but just because her time is running out doesn’t mean she can’t have fun, and being a superhero remains her ultimate goal. After all, as Jo tells Kush before she leaves the hospital behind, “superheroes don’t die”, so becoming one is non-negotiable. Being able to fly would just be an added bonus.
It can be a little harder to believe you’re a superhero with the distance created by illness, especially the terminal kind, and kids can be cruel, but Jo surrounds herself with those who understand and slowly finds a way to bring a little magic to her life at home.
Jo (Waweru) with her mother Kathryn (Marrianne Nungo) in ‘Supa Modo’. Source: One Fine Day Films
Though Jo is the one fighting her illness and the challenges it brings, the whole situation proves much harder for Kathryn and Mwix to deal with. Kathryn initially copes by keeping her fellow villagers in the dark about what is happening to her family, a difficult task when you’re the village midwife and your day consists of bringing new life into the world while your own child is facing end of theirs.
When she is at home, Kathryn spends her days wrapping Jo in blankets (if Jo stays still for more than a couple of minutes that is!) and monitoring her every move. It’s what any mother in her position would do, but in trying to keep her little girl safe, she unintentionally stands in the way of her dream. And Jo isn’t about to let that happen, even if it means she has to tell her mum a few white lies to leave the confines of the house occasionally!
Mwix on the other hand is determined to keep Jo’s belief in her superpowers alive, taking whatever opportunity arises to put a smile on her little sister’s face and helping her enjoy some of the freedoms she has missed while in hospital. Whether it’s moving a saltshaker through psychokinesis at breakfast, stopping “thieves” in their tracks, or saving them both from the wrath of their mum with a perfectly timed distraction, Mwix wants Jo to know she is responsible for all of it; she is stronger than she thinks and capable of whatever she puts her mind to.
The village is only too willing to get behind Mwix and her mission, and what ensues is community spirit at its best as everyone works together to not only encourage Jo to use her “powers” whenever they can but also help the family cope with what is to come, and themselves too. “That child is ours, even if we aren’t her mother,” they tell the village council, and it’s clear that the possibility of losing Jo hits each and every one of the people who are lucky enough to cross her path.
The decision of the village to make their own superhero film is the culmination of their love for this little girl, with Jo in the starring role as Supa Modo, bring her vision to life and taking all their minds off the reality she is facing. The characters that have covered her walls, and the stories she has created in her imagination, provide the perfect inspiration for Jo’s own story, and the fun they all have in the process of shooting makes memories that are both precious and heart-warming. What results is a tribute not only to Jo, but to all involved, and the unbreakable sense of community that will carry her family during their darkest time. As they all sit together beneath the stars to watch the final cut, there’s a deep sense that the dream of a little girl has somehow connected them all in a way none of them expected.
Jo’s victory turns out to be less about prevailing over evil or defeating an enemy with incredible force. Instead, it is the ability of her imagination to triumph over her illness that sees her win the battle against allowing it to define her life. She brings her village together, teaches her family lessons about the importance of believing in dreams, and above all never loses her sense of who she is. Perhaps being a real superhero is not about rejecting human weakness and avoiding death, but rather embracing all of it and simply believing you are one anyway. Maybe that’s all it takes.
Supa Modo is now streaming at SBS On Demand.
