Bulawayo-produced film premières

A Bulawayo film production titled A Trap to Trade is scheduled to première at Ster-Kinekor cinemas in the city on Saturday, starting at 6PM.

The one hour and 20 minutes’ production features a star-studded cast, including Lerato Ncube, Ronald Stone, Chichi The Poetic Queen, Nyarie Ncube, Umnikazi Wempuphu, Leonard Phiri, Thabiso Moyo and Patience Sithole, among others. The film was produced by Praise L Nkala. Nkala said the movie addresses societal issues.

“In a powerful and thought-provoking film titled A Trap of Trade, youths and adults come together to shed light on the harsh realities of unprotected sex, abortion, teenage pregnancy, child marriages, and gender-based violence. The story follows a young girl named Sarah, only 15 years old, whose life takes a tragic turn when she becomes pregnant after a brief encounter with JB, a man with political ambitions.

“JB, fearful of his reputation being tarnished as he pursues a career in politics, manipulates Sarah into having an abortion. However, Sarah’s caring aunt intervenes, bringing the situation to light and revealing the horrifying truth to Sarah’s unsuspecting parents,” said Nkala. Nkala said the film carries themes of deceit and desperation.

“Sarah’s family, blinded by financial gain and social status, arranges a marriage for her with JB to save face and secure their future.

“Despite Sarah’s tender age and innocence, she is thrust into a loveless and abusive relationship with JB, who turns violent as his mental health deteriorates under the weight of his lies and betrayals.

“Inspiration behind A Trap of Trade is that as a filmmaker, I’ve always been driven by a passion to tell stories that shed light on the most pressing issues of our time. The film was born out of a deep concern for the welfare of young girls and women who are vulnerable to exploitation, manipulation, and abuse.

The film’s narrative is inspired by real-life stories of teenage pregnancies, child marriages, and gender-based violence that have shocked and outraged me,” said Nkala, while sharing plans to distribute the film to other cities like Harare. — @mthabisi_mthire