The Film
In Kibera, basketball isn't just a game; it's a lifeline. The court becomes a place to dream, to escape, to learn, to find family, and to hold on to something greater than the grind of everyday life.
Through sweat and grit, young players discover that challenges don't make their dreams less possible but more meaningful.
Neil Sandoz & Tony Tei
Neil Sandoz and Tony Tei are filmmakers and visual storytellers focused on contemporary African narratives through documentary, editorial and branded film. Their work blends cinematic storytelling with grounded human experience, creating stories that are honest, visually intentional and culturally rooted.
Working together on Open Your Eyes, they combine strengths across directing, photography, editing and production to tell stories shaped by resilience, identity and community. Their approach is driven by a shared commitment to authenticity that reflects Africa in depth and emotional truth.
Their collaboration builds films that feel personal yet universal, balancing raw realism that resonates across cultures and audiences.
A Kibera basketball documentary, told from the inside
Open Your Eyes is a feature documentary filmed inside Kibera, one of Nairobi's largest and most densely populated neighbourhoods. Rather than framing Kibera through hardship alone, the film follows what happens on and around a basketball court, where young Kenyan players, coaches and families build a culture of their own.
Basketball in Kenya is often overshadowed by football and athletics, but in Kibera it has become a language for ambition, discipline and belonging. The film moves between training sessions, home life and neighbourhood streets to show a version of Nairobi rarely captured on screen.
Directed by Neil Sandoz and produced by Tony Tei for TEIL Films, Open Your Eyes (81 minutes, 2026) is presented in Swahili and English. The film premiered in Nairobi and continues to travel through community screenings and international festivals.
- Directed by
- Neil Sandoz
- Produced by
- Tony Tei
- Production
- TEIL Films
- In association with
- White Rhino Films · Jenga Films
- Music by
- Octopizzo · Labdi · Majessty · Virusi Mbaya · Futwax · Tooker · Forenn · Tasha XClusive · Mistrfromuganda · Darklorde
- Music Production
- Jesse Mweu