TECNO has released a new film offering a closer look at the people behind its global 100 Portraits of Becoming project. Created with Brazilian visual artist Angélica Dass, the two-year initiative aims to capture 100 portraits and personal stories across five countries, highlighting the experiences, ambitions, and identities that make each person unique.
Produced by BBC StoryWorks Commercial Productions, the film focuses on the lives behind the portraits rather than treating photography as a simple record of appearance. Kenya serves as the project's first chapter, introducing people who are challenging expectations and creating new opportunities in their communities.
TECNO Project Highlights Stories From Kenya
The film shares the stories of three people who are working to build a better future. Alex Mutua Muli is an agripreneur who helps local farmers reach more buyers. Instead of looking for chances elsewhere, he is creating new ways for people in his home community to grow and succeed.
Alexander Odhiambo took a different route. After a hard start to his career, he co-founded a software company in Nairobi. The company has since grown and now serves markets across Africa. Through his work, he also hopes to help others find new chances to succeed.
Jelimo Cheboi, meanwhile, helped turn a small WhatsApp group into GirlSkate Nairobi, a growing skateboarding community for girls and women. The initiative provides a space where members can challenge social expectations, express themselves, and find a sense of belonging. Although their experiences differ, all three stories explore how people can reshape their circumstances and challenge assumptions about what they can achieve.
Universal Tone Connects Technology With Human Diversity
The project also shows TECNO's goal of making smartphone photos fairer and more true-to-life. Its Universal Tone tech aims to show many skin tones in a more natural way. This helps solve a common problem with phone cameras.
Dass shares a similar goal through her art. Her portraits challenge the labels people use to judge others by their looks. Together, TECNO and Dass want to show that a portrait is more than a face. It is also about a person's life, story, and identity.
Tom Deakin, Director of Content Strategy at BBC StoryWorks APAC, said the people in the film made the project richer and more real by sharing their life stories. He hopes the film will help viewers learn more about others and see them with an open mind.
Key Points
- TECNO released a new film about its 100 Portraits of Becoming project.
- The project was created with artist Angélica Dass and produced by BBC StoryWorks.
- It will feature 100 people and their stories across five countries.
- Kenya is the first stop, with stories of business, tech, and skateboarding.
- The film follows people who create new chances for themselves and their communities.
- TECNO's Universal Tone tech aims to show a wide range of skin tones more fairly.
- The project will also visit the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Brazil.
- Its main goal is to show the people and life stories behind each portrait.
Five Countries, 100 Portraits, and 100 Stories
The two-year project will expand beyond Kenya to the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Brazil. Across these five countries, TECNO and Dass plan to build a collection of 100 portraits and accompanying personal stories.
Rather than presenting a single definition of success or identity, the initiative aims to explore the many different ways people grow, find opportunities, and shape their futures.
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The film is part of TECNO's broader effort to connect imaging technology with human experiences. As the project moves into additional countries, it will introduce more individuals and perspectives, continuing its focus on the people behind the portraits.
Readers can follow the project's progress through the official 100 Portraits of Becoming website and the BBC StoryWorks project page.
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