Hundreds of residents gathered in Katanga, Kampala, over the weekend for a historic free community screening of Back to the Source: The Nile, Uganda's fast-rising internationally acclaimed documentary of 2025.
Hosted by filmmaker Derrick Ssenyonyi of Linck Visuals Media in partnership with the Hope for Katanga Kids Foundation, the screening at Katanga Mukasawe transformed the densely populated informal settlement into an open-air celebration of Ugandan storytelling, culture, and identity.
Katanga, one of Kampala's most crowded informal settlements located near Makerere University, is known for its maze of rusted iron-sheet roofs, narrow muddy alleys, open drainage channels, loud music, charcoal smoke, and constant movement of people.
Wedged between upscale neighbourhoods and university land, the community reflects a stark contrast between poverty and privilege.
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More than 700 people, including families, youth, community leaders, local organisations, religious figures, and media representatives, attended the event, which featured a shared community meal, performances by local artists, and a live Luganda translation by celebrated Video Jockey VJ Ulio.
"This screening is not just an event -- it is Uganda's story coming home," Ssenyonyi said. "For five years, I have worked closely with the Katanga community, and sharing this film with them in their own language, surrounded by their own talent, feels like a true homecoming."
The 30-minute cinematic documentary follows Uganda's Consul General to China, Ambassador Judyth Nsababera, as she confronts a lifelong fear of water rooted in a near-drowning experience at the age of 15.
The journey takes viewers across some of Uganda's best-known destinations, including Jinja and the Source of the Nile, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Murchison Falls, Sipi Falls, Lake Mburo, Kisoro, Mbarara, and Kaynela Farms.
According to the filmmakers, the project began in 2024 after Ambassador Nsababera approached Ssenyonyi with the idea of promoting Uganda to Chinese audiences through authentic human storytelling rather than traditional tourism marketing campaigns.
"I wanted people to see Uganda not through statistics or slogans, but through a real human story," Nsababera said. "This film became both a personal journey and a celebration of our country."
The documentary premiered in Guangzhou, China, in December 2025 during the Second Annual Silverback Christmas event, attracting more than 300 guests from over 30 countries. Within days, the filmmakers said, the production had reached more than 73 million viewers across Chinese digital platforms.
Its Ugandan premiere followed on April 25, 2026, during a sold-out gala dinner at Méstil Hotel & Residences in Kampala attended by government ministers, ambassadors from more than 25 countries, tourism leaders, members of Uganda's creative industry, and media personalities.
Despite the international recognition and high-profile premieres, organisers described the Katanga screening as the project's most meaningful showing so far.
"Tourism belongs to everyone," Ssenyonyi said. "A film that was watched by diplomats, ministers, and international audiences is now being watched for free by children and families here in Katanga. That is what it means to tell Uganda's story for Uganda."
One of the evening's highlights was the live Luganda translation delivered by VJ Ulio, whose energetic narration drew cheers and laughter throughout the screening.
"Translation is more than just words," VJ Ulio said after the event. "It's about bringing the emotion, humour, geography, and meaning of the story to life for the community. Seeing elders and children fully connect with the film in Luganda was unforgettable."
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The event also placed strong emphasis on local talent, with poets, dancers, musicians, and spoken-word performers from Katanga entertaining audiences before and during the programme.
Organisers said the community was intentionally positioned not only as the audience but also as part of the storytelling experience itself.
"The community is not just the audience," Ssenyonyi said. "The community is also the performer, the translator, the host, and the story."
Following the success of the Katanga screening, organisers said discussions are already underway to expand similar community-centred screenings to other parts of Uganda as part of efforts to ensure national storytelling reaches ordinary Ugandans beyond cinemas, boardrooms, and diplomatic spaces.
