Who Killed Kenya

Making a Model UN Movie

TEIMUN Foundation formed a special committee to oversee the production of “Who Killed Kenya“, a live-action feature-film that tells the tale of an Model UN-themed murder mystery. The result of three years of work by a group international filmmakers and MUN-enthusiasts from the Dutch city of Groningen, the film explores what it is like to do Model UN in the form of an intimate character drama that mixes geopolitical intrigue with a thrilling murder plot full of twists and turns.

Licence the Film IMDb Behind the Scenes

Festivals and Awards

Bucharest International Film Festival

Young Voices in Political Cinema

European Film Festival Göttingen

Official Selection

Las Cruces International Film Festival

Best Narrative Feature Film

WXSA Amsterdam International Awards

Best Lead Actress: Daiana Ionita

PLOT SUMMARY

A young woman joins an exclusive Model UN, representing Estonia. She is soon overwhelmed by the competition that breaks out, as the other delegates fight over a UN-traineeship awarded to the best delegate. The Kenyan delegate is particularly ruthless. When he is found having overdosed at a party, everyone assumes it was an accident. But then, Estonia stumbles over some clues that suggest otherwise. She begins to investigate, and starts untangling a complex web of lies, jealousy and deceit.

STRUCTURE

The story plays out over 6 days, starting and ending with the Model UN. Each day consists of two sessions and an evening event, with breaks scattered in between. Sessions show MUN in action (i.e., delegates debating, drafting and passing resolutions etc.). Breaks and evening events show the personal drama behind the MUN and the various set-ups / pay-offs of the murder-mystery plotline.

ATMOSPHERE

The film balances comedic scenes that poke fun at MUN and romantic scenes that celebrate its social character, with a thrilling and dramatic plotline, propelled by the classic whodunit-style of a murder mystery. Told from the perspective of a newcomer, the film recreates the experience of doing MUN for the first time, showing how rewarding and educational it can be, while also showing its challenges.

THEMES

The central theme of the film is the tension between healthy and dysfunctional competition. Most people see MUN as a fun way to improve their rhetoric and strategic skills, but anyone who has done MUN before, knows that there are some who take it too seriously. The movie builds on this idea to generate conflict. Ultimately, the idea is to make a movie that celebrates Model UN, while also critically engaging with those who take things too far.

Nathan Lauer

Director

Hello there! My name is Nathan and I am the writer and director of Who Killed Kenya. Making an MUN-themed movie is something I have been wanting to do for a very long-time. Having spent years travelling everywhere from New York to Moscow to participate in Model UNs, I always felt they offered an interesting setting for character development and world-building.

With this movie, we set out to make a feature film that appeals to the millions of people across the world that take part in Model UNs every year as well as anyone who likes a good murder mystery. Like the people doing MUN, the team that worked on this film for multiple years comes from all over the world. No one was paid, everyone did this out of passion and love for filmmaking.