adminAuxilia Katongomara Entertainment Correspondent
VETERAN filmmakers and playwrights Stephen Chigorimbo and Cont Mhlanga are working on reviving Zimbabwe’s identity and heritage through film by producing works on some of Zimbabwe’s icons. The film doyens will be working on biographies of iconic Zimbabwean kings Mzilikazi, Lobengula and Mashayamombe.
South Africa-based Chigorimbo said the first series would be on the history of the Ndebele people starting from Mzilikazi. “We are working on biographies of several icons in Zimbabwe among them Mzilikazi, Lobengula and Mashayamombe. These are people who have changed the course of history.
“Mzilikazi founded the Ndebele nation, Lobengula was at the helm of it when the whites came into the country and as such we felt that as filmmakers we need to tell our own history,” said Chigorimbo.
He said the films would be made of 26 episodes each and would be shot in Zimbabwe and South Africa with actors from both countries.
“We are also conducting extensive research of the history as most of the literature available was authored by foreigners and is sometimes biased,” he said.
Amakhosi director Mhlanga said the idea came after realising that today’s films lacked depth and were mainly focusing on recent issues in society.
“If you watch television today you will realise that we are lacking heritage stories or films. There are a few stories with depth and identity on television. A majority of our local productions have almost the same story line,” he said.
Chigorimbo said the productions would be extended to more people in the country some of whom they are yet to identify.
The Amakhosi founder said these important people’s stories must be re-told to generations to come through film and literature.
Meanwhile, Mhlanga said Amakhosi would begin film screenings every Thursday in January. Budding filmmakers would also get a chance to premiere their films at Amakhosi.
Online Reporter