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Jonathan Mbiriyamveka TV
IN last week’s column I pointed out the importance of Zimbabwean filmmakers in providing content for our national broadcaster, ZBCTV, and satellite channels such as Mzansi Magic and Africa Magic.Well, just the past week, I enjoyed watching “ Lobola” on Mzansi Bioskop, a South African movie channel on DStv’s channel 164.
Apparently, “Lobola” stars our very own Munya Chidzonga, the two-time Big Brother Africa housemate.
Though this was not my first time to watch the movie, I couldn’t resist watching it over the weekend since it’s Zimbabwean. I am told the new channel brings a wide range of movies to a broad audience throughout Southern Africa and is accessible on the DStv Access, Family, Compact, Compact Plus and Premium bouquets.
Mzansi Bioskop shows films that reflect the day-to-day reality of the people of Mzansi. Many of these feature films have been hot hits in bustling makeshift “bioscopes” in townships and others were made especially for the Mzansi Magic audience.
Viewers across Africa, including Zimbabwe, can look forward to fascinating stories such as “Who Made Me Pregnant”, “2020 Orlando East”, “Blame It on Love”, “The Khumalos” and other films that have delighted audiences in South Africa recently.
One reader, Chayira Happymore, responded to last week’s article and below is the letter:
“As an upcoming filmmaker I feel very delighted to pen my response to your article titled “Where are our filmmakers?” in the Herald Entertainment section of Tuesday September 17 2013.
“From a filmmaking perspective one has to put into consideration the kind of environment that local filmmakers live in and the impact it has to their line of work inasfar as quality film products in various genres are concerned.
“Most important is the issue of funding, we do not have production houses who have the sole mandate of identifying filmmakers and providing them with all the necessary tools for the industry.
“This on its own impacts on the quality of productions that are to come out if any at all.
“Most of the local filmmakers practise some kind of ‘guerilla’ filmmaking whereby there is a severe cut on work categories such as costume, make-up, et al, leaving the other functionaries such as lighting and editing relegated to basic stuff thus compromising the end product.
“Moreover, the attitude with ZBCTV is not appealing at all to the local filmmakers who are offered nothing in return for their work hence most shun the local broadcaster.
“The issue of participating in international awards might be attributed to insufficient information or lack of interest on the part of film-makers as the films have to meet certain standards which at times are difficult to meet.
“A lot still needs to be done to our local standards and the absence of a cultural policy hasn’t done any good to the so-called filmmaking industry.
“Government policy on the arts has let us down and we are merely being relegated to shooting weddings and mediocre stuff.
“Thus our dreams of making a vibrant film industry out of Zimbabwe will always remain a pipe dream.
“A lot has to be done to make sure that our local film industry reaches the dizzy heights we want it to. “The major setback has to be funding and I think Government must do more as well as the corporate world which I think is not doing enough to help the film industry to grow.
“Zimbabwe has the talent but lack of resources is pulling us down.”
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