Flo first mentioned the concept of small gods (ibigirwamana) the very day we met. Like almost all of the indigenous Batwa tribe, Flo has no access to her family’s ancestral lands, which were stolen to make way for conservation and tourism. When asked what the Batwa miss most from their old home in the forest, Flo mentioned animist deities attached to specific trees, caves, or water bodies. She referred to them as small gods.

​

As we began building a narrative around Flo’s experiences, the concept suggested further resonances. The writing process started around the dinner table and continued late each night, as the cast recalled events from their lives. The whole crew was immediately captivated by the rich and epic drama with which the tales were told. From their own perspective, they were heroes fighting for their dignity, but to an uncaring outsider they were no more than street performers.

Stylistically, Small Gods aims to depict their lives on a canvas just as mythic as the one they narrated. In doing so, it risks running against the traditions of documentary-infused cinema, in which first-time actors are rarely asked to plumb the same theatrical depths as trained professionals. Fortunately there was no doubt in my mind that they were up to the task. Flo and Bizi have, after all, been acting their whole lives - performing songs, dances, or impressions for the tourists that now flock to see Uganda’s gorillas.

​

In the case of Bizi, this is how we crossed paths. Known among his friends as ‘monkey man’, Bizi will frequently drop to his knees and perform his gorilla impression at the sight of a foreigner. One such foreigner couldn’t get over the mis-match between his deep well of talent and his stature by the roadside. Making the film was a stand against this injustice. By taking the topic of performance as a thematic subject, platforming the casts’ overlooked talent, and anchoring the camera in their perspective, the hope was that we could somehow defy and defeat the view of tourist, he who comes for the gorillas but passed Bizi by…

​

Having worked with the cast since our first short film together in 2021, I have been lucky enough to witness the transformation Small Gods has made in their lives. With the immense help of the production team, we have not only been able to purchase her and Bizi their own plots where they now grow food and graze their new cattle, but also build safe sturdy homes for them to live in for years to come. After three years in school, Tuyi now speaks English better than I speak Rufumbira, and I hope he will get the chance to answer questions about the film directly.

I am forever grateful to have been able to enable this process - it all feels like a small miracle. Perhaps we are indebted to the small gods…