( CNN ) -- A hard-hitting Kenyan movie about gang culture has become the country 's first-ever film to be considered for an Oscar . `` Nairobi Half Life '' has just been shown at Film Africa 2012 , which is currently taking place in London -- having already made history as the most successful theatrical release for a local film in Kenya , according to its producers . It 's the debut film from Kenyan director David `` Tosh '' Gitonga , who says he wants to change views about crime in the country . `` We keep saying crime is wrong , but are we really looking at why there is crime ? '' he says . `` I do n't believe Kenyans get into crime for fun and giggles . '' Prior to shooting , Gitonga wanted to understand the story behind Nairobi 's crime culture and to fully comprehend the situation he spent time with real-life gangsters . This experience led him to hear stories of gang members flooding properties and defecating on porches after robberies . He was told : `` It hurts us that you have these things we do n't have . '' Watch a scene from the movie . Gitonga admits he was left speechless when asked whether it 's fair that some are born into wealth , while others struggle to feed their children just one meal a day . `` I could n't answer that question and it still haunts me today , '' he says . His film chronicles the trials and tribulations of the character Mwas -- a young aspiring actor from rural Kenya who dreams of becoming the next `` Bruce Willis . '' Also on Inside Africa : Film shines light on Obama 's Kenyan sister . Mwas moves to Nairobi in pursuit of that dream -- but experiences first-hand why some people refer to the city as `` Nairobbery , '' after being robbed of all his belongings on his first day there . Fighting to survive in the city , Mwas strikes up an unlikely friendship with a gang leader who introduces him to a world of theft and violence . This includes taking part in robberies and carjackings -- common crimes in Nairobi . According to the U.S. State Department , the city averages about 10 vehicle hijackings each day . Jitin Mediratta , a Nairobi-born lawyer , describes the movie as a story that hits home . `` I have been a victim of robbery with violence when I was living with my father a few years ago , '' he says . `` The truth about the thugs being young and nervous when carrying out the crimes is indeed true . '' While Mediratta says the film `` humanizes '' the gangsters , he rejects feeling any empathy for them -- an opinion shared by his wife Isha , who adds : `` A crime is still a crime . '' He does , however , want to know how the Kenyan government plans to improve the situation and tackle social injustices . It is a sentiment shared by Gitonga . He hopes the film will help government officials understand what is happening on the ground , even if just a minority of them take any action . Also on Inside Africa : 3D animation puts South Africa film in the picture . There has n't been a formal response to the film from the Kenyan government , but Gitonga says some government officials have discreetly expressed `` a need to look at our country and make things better . '' The movie has already received international recognition . Joseph Wairimu , who plays Mwas , won best actor at the Durban International Film Festival , in July . And the U.S. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is considering whether to nominate Nairobi Half Life for an Oscar in the Best Foreign Language Film category -- the first time a Kenyan movie has been considered . Gitonga is also humbled by the positive response the film has received from Kenyans , since Kenyan movies do n't usually attract large local audiences . He feels the movie has opened doors for other Kenyan filmmakers and African film in general . `` I want the rest of the world to go to the cinema and appreciate a world they do n't know , '' he says .
` ` Nairobi Half Life '' considered for best foreign language film 2014 . Director spent time with real - life gangsters before the movie . ` ` Are we really looking at why there is violence ? '' asked director David Lynch .