A teenage boy travels from inland Kenya to Nairobi in order to realize his dream of becoming an actor. However, he immediately experiences for himself why Nairobi is nicknamed "Nairobbery". While he acclimatises to this new world of violence, robbery and gangs, he is at the same time selected in a drama audition, finally realizing his dream. While the film′s premise is not new ? that of a young innocent with the intention of making it in the big city, only to be faced with challenges before finally realising his dream ? the execution of <Nairobi Half Life> is anything but ordinary. From the opening scene, the viewer is clued in to the understanding that the main character is a fighter, and that despite his naivety and the chaotic, lawless and noisy world he finds himself in, he will somehow not give up hope. This unquenchable optimism imbues the overall atmosphere of the film with a bright and positive tone, while at the same time never ignoring the not-so-bright reality of the boy′s circumstances. (RHEE, Soue-won)