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THE idea of freedom or liberation is that one who was previously marginalised based on some criterion finally is unshackled and becomes free to chart their own destiny. The realisation of complete freedom is, however, easier said than done since so many hurdles still stand in the way to total emancipation.
There are so many initiatives that have suffered a stillbirth locally due to the perception that we needed some saviour from outside our borders to direct or fund them. Is it not ironic that on one hand we can claim to be free while on the other we continuously extend a begging bowl to our erstwhile colonisers. We live in a global village and there is no way we can be isolated from the rest of the world hence the need for us to establish relations with other countries.
However, it should not always be a case of the beggar and the master.
We refer here to the breath of fresh air in the form of an article in this edition in which local filmmakers have decided to shed off the beggars tag and sought to raise local resources to support their industry so that they freely tell the Zimbabwean story without looking over their shoulder to see if he who paid the piper is impressed with the tune.
This could be our vanguard that would curtail the subtle encroachment of cultural imperialism that seeks to dictate the terms of globalisation, glossing over warts and all to lull us into conformity with a system that further disempowers us.
We have seen a similar model being put into practice to ensure food security in the country, where local resources were raised to fund agriculture. It is quite a refreshing turn of events that Zimbabweans are slowly waking up to the reality that we are our own liberators. Though it may seem a small gesture by a group of young filmmakers determined to grow their industry, the message that they are spreading through their determination is quite unmistakable.
a�?Unlike some of our older industry colleagues we grew tired of waiting for foreign organisations to fund our dreams, so we took the initiative with our partners Lalani Hotel and Conference Centre and other film producers to create a workshop that would help the film industry grow. This is a sign that Zimbabwean art can make it without carrying a begging bowl,a�? said Nama award-winning filmmaker Lenni Mdawini Sibanda.
The young filmmakersa�� initiative will see them come together and mobilise resources to independently produce films and offer training to up and coming artistes, instead of relying on donor support that is hard to come by and where it is accessed, comes with strings attached.
We applaud this new way of thinking. Collectively as a people we can certainly do much more than just lament our predicament. This is the thinking that we need across all industries as we seek to re-energise our economy so that even when we invite foreign investors they can treat us as equal partners with a palpable stake in whatever venture we embark on, instead of coming into the venture as saviours without whom we would not survive. .
Online Reporter