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Call Me Kuchu

Play trailer Poster for Call Me Kuchu Released Jun 14, 2013 1h 27m Documentary Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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98% Tomatometer 52 Reviews 88% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
In Uganda, openly gay David Kato and his fellow activists work to defeat new legislation in their country that would make homosexuality punishable by death.
Call Me Kuchu

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Critics Consensus

Alternately horrific and uplifting, Call Me Kuchu exposes heinous systematic brutality with a clear eye and admirable precision.

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Critics Reviews

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Shadow and Act Staff Shadow and Act A necessary, yet cinematic call for action. May 28, 2020 Full Review Kate Muir Times (UK) Call Me Kuchu leaves you flabbergasted by its portrait of the persecution of gay men and lesbians in Uganda. Rated: 4/5 Dec 31, 2013 Full Review Anthony Quinn Independent (UK) It's a lesson in courage, in being determined to enjoy one's life even as the authorities threaten to take it away. Rated: 3/5 Dec 31, 2013 Full Review Dennis Harvey 48 Hills Call Me Kuchu—but this documentary about persecution of LGBT people in Uganda is depressingly more relevant than ever. Jun 12, 2023 Full Review Joseph Braverman AwardsCircuit.com If more documentaries were filmed like Call Me Kuchu, the genre could return to its roots of educating and mobilizing viewers instead of simply entertaining them. Rated: 4/4 May 28, 2020 Full Review Jared Mobarak The Film Stage I cannot believe anyone watching this documentary won't become emotionally enraged at how cruel mankind still is in the twenty-first century. Rated: A- May 28, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (11) audience reviews
PridePosterStudios When the haters are so engulfed by their hatred while Uganda’s queer community is celebrating life, dancing to Boney M…’choose love’ has never been more apt. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 06/15/24 Full Review Audience Member Very good documentary. Very well made and down to earth. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/29/23 Full Review Audience Member There's courage, and then there's what the men and women at the center of Call Me Kuchu display. This exceptional documentary, from directors Katherine Fairfax Wright and Malika Zouhali-Worrall, chronicles the fight for LGBT rights in Uganda where homosexuality is illegal and almost became a capital offense. For these individuals, among them Uganda's first openly gay man David Kato, leaving the country to escape persecution isn't an option. If they leave, who will remain to protect those still in the closet or future generations who will try to live as out men and women among violent zealots? But each stays knowing any day, a bigot will end his or her life, and tragically, over the course of Call Me Kuchu, that will be the case for someone. It's a rough (but important and rewarding) film to watch because while it's easy to admire these men and women, they suffer a lot, and there's little hope in sight. Of course, they're working tirelessly, but the deck is so stacked against them-a leading newspaper, for example, is publishing the names, pictures, and addresses of "suspected homos" in addition to blaming a terrorist bombing on sexual minorities. We never get the impression their winning over hearts and minds. Our half dozen main characters are not alone, however, and Call Me Kuchu ultimately uplifts because we see cracks in this seemingly unbreakable ceiling. They take the aforementioned newspaper-Rolling Stone, which is little more than a tabloid-and its horrifying, smug editor to court and win. They find inroads at the United Nations. And even on the religious front, they find an essential ally in the form of Bishop Christopher Senyonjo, who remarks while encouraging his friends to stay strong, "I am free because I know the truth. And I will stand for that truth." Moving words. If you find yourself troubled by the film's setup, its conclusion might overwhelm you. There's so much raw pain on the screen. I'm not sure I'll ever forget it, but you see those suffering standing tall eventually, and it's encouraging. Call Me Kuchu-which derives its title from a slang term meaning "gay"-shines a light on repression of the worst and most dangerous kind. It shows us how little we as citizens of the world sometimes learn from the mistakes of the past. And it's a heart-wrenching reminder that if you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything. http://www.johnlikesmovies.com/call-me-kuchu-review/ Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/10/23 Full Review Audience Member the ugandan homosexual community's struggles are truly moving and i was impressed with the access the filmmakers had to various sources and events. i was really moved by the sudden death of david kato and the scenes that followed, and it's sad to think that the struggle there is not over yet. though there were great moments of tenderness scattered throughout the film, i wish they had been more frequent. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Audience Member It's heartbreaking but you must watch it Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/07/23 Full Review Audience Member Riveting documentary about human rights struggle in Uganda. You will never forget the people you meet in this documentary. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/02/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Call Me Kuchu

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Movie Info

Synopsis In Uganda, openly gay David Kato and his fellow activists work to defeat new legislation in their country that would make homosexuality punishable by death.
Director
Katherine Fairfax Wright, Malika Zouhali-Worrall
Producer
Malika Zouhali-Worrall
Screenwriter
Katherine Fairfax Wright, Malika Zouhali-Worrall
Distributor
Cinedigm
Production Co
Cinedigm
Genre
Documentary, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 14, 2013, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 25, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA)
$7.3K
Runtime
1h 27m