Promise and Ian are very good friends that live in Kariobangi South, one of Nairobi’s neighbourhoods in Kenya. Both are aged nine and they share the same passion for acrobatics. They regularly train in an acrobatic group led and founded by the charismatic and self-taught Steve. The arrival of COVID results in the shutting of their school, so the two, like many other 4 children in the neighbourhood, fill their days roaming the area. During their adventures, they find a special rooftop hideaway on top of a building overlooking the train tracks on a communal field used by local families. Here, in their secret vantage point they feel safe, as though on top of the world. They can see the far horizon and they dream about their futures, about growing up and maybe one day boarding a train to travel far. Years go by, their families are struggling with difficulties in keeping their lives afloat. The school does not properly restart so the only constant in the children’s’ lives is now the acrobatic trainings every afternoon that helps them keeping focused, bringing hope and empowerment, surrounded by strong friendships and out in the open air. Promise and Ian are now 11 years old. Soon Steve will be announcing to the group that, after 3 years of stop, some of them will be chosen for the Europe tour with their “Cirque du Soleil” like show, performing in various countries, bringing a mesmerising show, full of good energy and breathtaking acrobatics. The money raised during the trip will be then used to fund their children outreach project back home. Promise and Ian start training even harder. Will they be selected?

Director's notes

In 2009, I observed a group of Kenyan acrobats performing on the main square of my hometown Zagreb. I was immediately attracted by their acrobatic skills and their contagious, positive energy. Since I used to perform acrobatics myself, I started training with them and I got to know their background story; they grew up in the poorest neighborhood of Nairobi. As children they used to watch Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan films and impersonate what they saw on television. 
From this early enthusiasm, they formed their first acrobatic show. For more than a decade, they have been traveling around Europe to perform and raise money to support children living in the Nairobi ghettos. In Jump Out, I wish to tell their story through the eyes of two kids in their program; Promise (9) and Ian (9), whom I met four years ago. Through their growing up in this harsh environment, where most of the kids of their age are involved in criminal activities, we realise how Steve and the other group members offer them a new chance and a new perspective on life. Now, more than ever their work is important, because since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the schools in Kenya have closed for almost a year, leaving millions of kids in Kenya to themselves. Crime rates rose rapidly, as well as teenage pregnancies, which have been at their highest peak in 2020. Children with no sexual nor school education have basically nothing to do all day while their parents are working. This is the reason I believe that Jump out will empower, educate and inspire children and youngsters internationally, so we can have a more unified world tomorrow.