Documentary follows a sister completing Kenyan-Scottish singer Beldina Odenyo’s unfinished album
The documentary *Bel* remembers Beldina Odenyo, a Kenyan-Scottish singer-songwriter who was on the verge of wider recognition when she died by suicide in 2021, aged 31. Directed by Louise Lockwood, it follows Odenyo’s sister Leah McAleer as she tries to complete the album Odenyo left behind, exploring the grief involved and the effort to keep her music alive.
The film draws on Odenyo’s teenage video diaries, testimony from people close to her and a handful of unfinished songs. It traces her early life in Kenya and Scotland, and examines how trauma, racism, exile and mental illness shaped her experiences. The review highlights her powerful voice and recalls her headline performance at Edinburgh’s Usher Hall, two weeks before her death.
- A documentary follows Leah McAleer’s attempt to finish her late sister’s album.
- Beldina Odenyo died in 2021, aged 31, after a promising musical rise.
- The film explores how trauma and racism shaped her life and music.
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Beldina Odenyo was a Kenyan-Scottish singer-songwriter who was gaining wider recognition when she died in 2021 at age 31. She had been developing material that remained unfinished at the time of her death.
The documentary *Bel*, directed by Louise Lockwood, follows Odenyo's sister Leah McAleer as she attempts to complete the unfinished album. The film draws together Odenyo's teenage video diaries, interviews with people close to her and her unfinished songs, tracing her life in Kenya and Scotland and examining influences including trauma, racism and mental illness.
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Originally published by The Guardian as “Bel review – a tearful, heartbreaking tribute to a spellbinding singer”.