Ian Gituku Ngene

Born in Kenya, studied Media Industries in UK, in which he holds a masters degree. film career started out as a YouTuber and gave birth to The Wine Story Films and transitioned to documentary filmmaking in 2022. Ian owns an editing studio in Nairobi and works as a Film Director & Editor. He is based in Nairobi Kenya but travels around the world following compelling stories.

Director Statement

In 'Sipping Words', we intended to immerse the audience in Wendy's world by using cinematic scenes of her personal life and also blending it with her professional life as a bookstore owner and wine enthusiast. Music was selected specifically to emphasise the emotional impact her community experiences in her sessions.

I am a Kenyan-based filmmaker and I ‘ve been part of the arts my whole life - a musician, music producer then in recent years, I picked up a camera. There was a deep sense of satisfaction I felt when I attended a books and wine event hosted by Wendy Njoroge in Nairobi and I liked how she provided therapeutic sessions to her audience by pairing wine and book themes.

'Sipping Words' was a concept I had for a film about her to tell her story in an authentic way.