The 2022 movie Can You See Us on Netflix—which is not to be confused with the Ava DuVernay Netflix miniseries When They See Us—is a heartfelt drama from Zambian director Kenny Mumba. The story, written by Andrew and Lawrence Thompson, follows a young Zambian boy with albinism, who is rejected by his father at birth and faces a long, hard childhood full of bullying, abuse, and discrimination.
The boy, Joseph (played by Thabo Kaamba as a child, and by George Sikazwe as a young man), finds refuge in music. Against all odds, he manages to become a popular singer in Zambia, and the very same people who used to torment Joseph now want to be his friend. The movie may be cheesy, but it’s still emotional, especially knowing that Can You See Us is at least partially inspired by a true story. Let’s get into it.
According to text on the screen at the beginning of the film, Can You See Us was inspired by the life of John Chiti, a popular Zambian singer with albinism. According to the movie’s credits, Chiti served as an “additional writer” on the movie’s script. That said, we can assume that because the lead character’s name was changed to Joseph, Can You See Us is a mostly fictional drama merely inspired by the difficulties that Chiti faced growing up, as a child with albinism in Zambia.
That said, it is true that, as in the movie, Chiti was rejected by his own father because of his condition. In a 2020 interview with Thomson Reuters Foundation, Chiti said, “When I was born my family was confused. They couldn’t believe that I belonged and this led to the divorce of my parents.”
However, according to that same Reuters report, the real Chiti’s mother died when Chiti was just eight years old. After that, Chiti went to live with his father, who had learned to better understand his condition.
John Chiti is a Zambian musician, as well as the founder and director of the Albino Foundation of Zambia, which works to raise awareness about and promote the welfare of people with albinism in Zambia. Chiti founded the non-profit organization in 2008, and is the most prominent person with albinism in Zambia. According to his bio on the Albino Foundation website, Chiti is married and has two children.
Today, Chiti has released five albums and often sings about social issues. In 2020, he released a track titled “Corona virus,” about the way people with disabilities were being overlooked and forgotten during the pandemic.
“I used to blame myself for being a person with albinism. I grew up with low self-esteem because I thought I’m not human enough,” he told the Thomas Reuters Foundation. “But it’s not us that have to change, it’s society that needs to change its attitudes towards us.”