MAGIC TOUCH

Filmography so far: (Selected) 
 
Harry Potter 20^th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts 
Dr. Martens IWD 
‘Tamera Live’: Amazon Music 
Glamour X Conde Nast 
Motherhood 
Bottled 
‘Good Girl’: Joya Mooi  

When did you discover you wanted to be a cinematographer and what inspired you to follow this career path? 

I have always been interested in the many forms of storytelling, through books, music, oral traditions, or film.  

I used to watch a lot of old kung fu films when I was younger with my brothers and loved how I got sucked into a different world. I fell in love with the way the camera moved, especially how the fight scenes cut together. 

I also discovered that my grandfather was a cameraman in the 1960s and he went on to produce the first ever Swahili feature film Mlevi in Kenya. Although I sadly never got to meet him, seeing his behind-the-scenes photos really inspired me. 

Where did you learn your craft? 

Inspired by my grandfather, I shot a short film in Kenya in Swahili, and I learnt so much; more so on the mistakes than anything else.   

I got work experience opportunity at Panavision on the camera floor and moved up to the technical service department. I have been fortunate to have worked as a tech on jobs abroad such as Spectre, Wonder Woman, Hunger Games and No Time to Die. It was invaluable to be surrounded by cameras and lenses and really get an understanding of how optics work and seeing the best cinematographers work on set.  

What are your favourite films, and what makes them stand out to you? 

La Haine for a masterclass in filmmaking 

Drunken Master, for its nostalgia and amazing fight choreography 

Chungking Express, a pure joy to watch. 

Who in the film world inspires you? 

Gurinder Chadha. Watching Bend it Like Beckham as a young girl, it was the first time I saw characters and stories of people that looked like me and I could relate to.  

What’s the most useful advice you’ve received and from whom? 

A colleague of mine said, choose your projects well. You spend so much time and energy on each project, it’s important to pick the right people and projects. 

What advice would you give someone considering becoming a cinematographer? 

Be tenacious, humble, and never be afraid to ask questions. It’s also very important to respect your crew. 

What have been your greatest triumphs and disasters on set? 

The Harry Potter reunion documentary. To have gone from being very junior when I first stepped onto the set to now shooting the reunion, I felt like my career had come full circle  

I’ve been lucky in my career so far that I wouldn’t say I’ve had a disaster on set. I like to surround myself with an amazing team. A moment I can share is when I was shooting a music video on a basketball court in the height of a heatwave handheld. I was following the music artist around the court and bent down to get a good angle but couldn’t get up! Luckily my 2nd AC saw me and literally lifted me off the ground so I could continue. 

What lights your fire outside of work? 

Family, music (especially hip hop and jazz), travelling, martial arts and my plants. 

What has been the biggest challenge in your career and how did you overcome it?  

Tokenism. Sometimes I feel I’m in the room purely due to my gender and background. Of course, it is a massive influence on who I am, but I also want to be seen as a cinematographer that can do the job in hand. 

What piece of kit could you not live without? 

Good footwear, bright colourful socks, and my light meter.  

Which film would you love to have shot? 

I love the way Wes Anderson films are composed and shot. The Grand Budapest Hotel is one of my favourites. There are so many considered and concise choices in every single frame, it is simply beautiful.  

Which productions are you most proud to have lensed, and why? 

The Harry Potter 20^th anniversary documentary was an amazing experience. It brought home how far I have come from when I started off. My first visit on a big film set was back in 2010 and I was taken to one of the Harry Potter sets by one of the Panavision camera engineers. I was a trainee on the camera floor and my 2^nd week being there. I was intimidated by how big the cameras and set were. I would have never thought that in the future I would be shooting the very cast that I saw on that day.  

What’s the best and worst thing about your job? 

I love collaborating with different departments and my crew. I always try to bring good energy to a job. 

Worst is the long hours.  

How would you best describe your approach to cinematography? 

Research not just within moving images and stills but also through music, books, and everyday life. I like to observe things and see how they sit within the environment and infuse colour, texture, and emotion to my work.  

What are your aspirations for the future? 

I would love to do more narrative-based work and be part of telling stories and experiences from different cultures and traditions. There is so much richness and depth in many underrepresented cultures. 

What do you think are the industry’s biggest challenges? 

Pushing people to rise up through the ranks regardless of gender, social status or ethnicity in a real and tangible way. 

Also, to see more original content in the mainstream, to be brave in bringing original stories from all different cultures and backgrounds.