Call 112, a new short film by Usama Mukwaya and Meddy Sserwadda, couldn’t have come at a better time. The film, which premiered on April 30th, 2025, at Century Cinemax Acacia Mall in Kampala to a full house, tackles the subject of disinformation, something many Ugandans know all too well, especially those active on platforms like TikTok.
The story follows James, a broke university student who’s also a rising TikTok influencer. He gets an offer he can’t refuse: expose the secrets of Teopista Ndyanabo, a respected woman MP running for re-election in Kabambe West. But things spiral quickly when what starts as “content” turns into a full-blown smear campaign. Lies about Teopista’s family including cruel rumors about her children spread online, leading to a heartbreaking moment where her son attempts to take his own life.
Blair Koono, who is a TikToker in real life, does a solid job as James, portraying the hunger and pressure many young Ugandan content creators go through. In one scene, he vents to his friends about how his videos get thousands of views, likes, and shares yet he still has no money in his pockets to show for it. Mariam Ndagire, a towering figure in Uganda’s film industry, delivers a powerful performance as Teopista. She carries her character’s quiet strength and heartbreak with grace. During a Q&A after the screening, Ndagire shared that she, too, has been a victim of disinformation, especially at the height of her career as a singer. She added that after reading the script, she knew without a doubt that this was a role she had to carry on her shoulders. The rest of the cast including; Ethan Kavuma, Kenny Rukundo, and Peter Odeke also deliver strong performances.
What makes Call 112 hit hard is how close it feels to real life. In Uganda especially on social platforms such as TikTok and X, we’ve seen a rise in content creators who thrive on spreading false stories. Some have built massive followings by tearing others down: twisting facts, starting rumors, and dragging names through the mud for likes and shares. The damage they leave behind is real. Lives are ruined. Reputations destroyed. Businesses crushed. And sadly, there’s very little accountability.
The film shows how easy it is for someone to get caught up in this kind of mess, and how hard it is to undo the harm once it’s done. It’s a reminder that behind every “viral” story is a real person often with a family, a job, and a future at stake.
Produced by Hadijah Nakajanko and Meddy Sserwadda, Call 112 is short but sharp. It’s well-made, well-acted, and tells an important story in a way that’s easy to follow but hard to forget. It is now showing across Uganda and will soon be screened internationally.
As part of the film’s premiere was the launch of a campaign called ‘Love Facts’—a holistic, creative, and humorous pro-debunking initiative aimed at building a fact-loving, fact-craving, and fact-seeking movement among young people through fun, food, and facts.
Fact Me, Fact You, Fact Everyone…
