New Movies from ZIM

I have not yet had the pleasure to scribble something about, Zimbabwe's film industry. The reason I must confess was because of ignorance. A lot has been happening in Zollywood which is my country’s equivalent to Nollywood which is Nigeria’s answer to Bollywood who adopted that name from Hollywood. Zollywood or whoever came up with that title get a 1 out of 10 for their creative effort. ZOLLYWOOD! C'mon. It’s so uncreative that if I type Zollywood or Nollywood my computer automatically corrects it to Hollywood or Bollywood.

Now that is out of the way I will get back to talking about cinema.

According to entertainment journos The Zimbabwean movie industry is reported to be booming. The country has seen a number of motion pictures released in the past year. The much talked about ‘Lobola’ and the recently released ‘Choice’ instantly come to mind. But having watched neither film I am in no position to critic them. As soon as I buy copies at a corner in Marabastaad I will post something immediately... just kidding. Piracy is ILLEGAL!

I must say though, Choice seems to be a step in the right direction for Zimbabwean movie making. The film is about a young married woman, Choice Tembo, played by Rudo Chigogo, who is caught between two lovers. She loves her husband Morrison Tembo (Sylvester Hwema) but he is not meeting her conjugal rights satisfactorily. As a result, she finds a sensual touch from a young, handsome man, James Tigere, played by Tinashe Maisva. She then carefully juggles the two relationships but Morrison later discovers the game. I like the premise it departs from those sombre story lines associated with Zim movies.

What is your favourite AFRICAN film of all time?

I recently posted this question on the Screen Africa group page and I must confess that I am looking forward to seeing people's responses. This simple yet difficult question got me thinking about what my favourite AFRICAN movie is.

There is such a plethora of motion pictures produced from this magnificent continent of ours that I am still racking my brain. I have watched so many lovely films and in retrospect most of them can take the number 1 spot.

I am talking about movies as old as XALA, as futuristic as District 9, as compelling as NERIA, as interesting as Yellow Card and as funny as Jit. The list is endless and includes but not limited to: Lemumba, Battle of Algiers, Everybody's Child, Tsotsi, Yesterday, Jerusalema, Mapantsula, White Wedding, Osofiya In London, Blood Diamond, Drum, Getroud Met Rugby and and Invictus.

Kenya-Franco Film Treaty

The Kenyan government and the Government of France signed a Co-production Treaty at this year’s Cannes International Film Festival. The cooperation agreement between the Kenya Film Commission (KFC) and the Centre National de la Cinematographie et de l’image animee (CNC) was signed by Peter Mutie (KFC) and Eric Garandeau of (CNC).
The pact seeks to enhance cooperation between Kenya and France in the area of Film production, marketing and distribution as well as preservation of film heritage of both countries. During last year’s edition of the Cannes International festival France entered into a similar agreement with South Africa.
The treaty ties the countries to broaden the scope the exchange of information and experience in cinema polices. Special attention will be directed towards training experts and educators. Seminars and workshops related to this sector are also on the cards.

Stand By Me

There are many movies that i watched in my childhood that have left a lasting impression. Stand By Me is somewhere on top of that list. I managed to catch the film on E.tv late last night. The movie finished a little before midnight but it was worth staying up for. Though i must admit i did not share the same sentiments when my alarm clock went if off early this morning.

Back to the matter at hand - Stand by Me. This film is a coming of age adventure-drama story of 4 tween age boys. The first time I watched the movie I was tween myself and I fell in love with the camaraderie the four main characters shared. Watching now I cannot help but fall in love with the story itself. As much as it is about camaraderie it is also about how four little boys from very dysfunctional families and how they negotiate their situations.

Above The Rim

I recently watched the remarkable Above The Rim. I must confess that watching the charismatic, handsome, talented and imposing Tupac Shakur was a bitter sweet experience. Bitter in that such talent was short lived and yet sweet because one cannot help but appreciate the screen presence of young Shakur. I could watch such brilliance over and over again.

Above the Rim is a story about a jock who is caught between the seductive life of thuggery and a straight forward life of College Basketball. It stars Duane Martin, Leon, Tupac Shakur and a young Bennie Mac. This is one of those movies is often left out of the must-watch list but I recommend that you rent it and enjoy it.

For Coloured Girls is definitely not for 'Sissy Girls'

I am writing this post with a mixed bag of emotions. But such is the state that Tyler Perry's latest movie will leave in as soon as the credits start rolling.

I kinda knew that For Coloured Girls was going to be one of those movies that was going to leave emotionally drained and with a negative view of the African American male. This film goes out of its way to incorporate all the harshest cruelties that a black woman can endure in one narrative(rape, back alley abortions, abuse, STIs... I could go on). This is a heart wrenching film that left me cold for the most part.

Perry departs from his Madeaesque story telling style to tell a chilling yet poetic tale of a number of Coloured Girls in modern day America. I take my hat off to Perry for getting out of his comfort zone as a Director. For Coloured girls are a good movie but I am not sure I could bare another screening.

The All-star cast includes Janet Jackson, Kimberly Elise, Kerry Washington, Anika Noni Rose, Thandie Newton, Phylicia Rashad, Loretta Devine, Macy Gray and Whoopi Goldberg. These ladies are all champions in their challenging roles.

The guerrillas strike again

The Uganda/South Africa film production collective, ’Yes! That’s Us’ is perfecting the art of collaborative-guerrilla film making. Donald Mugisha and James Tayler the primary members of the group are proving that the African idiom “two heads are better than one” still holds true. The two recently completed their second guerrilla feature film, ‘Yogera: Silence Speaks’, shot in the backstreets of Kampala, Uganda. The collaborative effort in Yogera’s production cannot be understated. The pair thought up the story, found the cast and crew and did the filming. Because of this the director is credited as ‘Yes! That’s Us’ with the names of Tayler and Mugisha appearing on the producers, editors, writers and photography credits. Yogera recently got a screening at the International Film Festival Rotterdam and the Goteborg International Film Festival.

The film is tale of a deaf mute (Hope) who runs away from the countryside to live in the big city with her twin sister, who is not ready for the responsibility of a deaf mute the modern city. After a fight with her sister, Hope disappears and wanders around the city experiencing the challenges and cruelty that Kampala holds for a person like her.