Online Reporter
Trust Khosa-Zimpapers Arts and Entertainment Hub
FILMMAKER, theatre director and researcher Major (Retired) Special Matarirano, firmly believes Zimbabwe’s creative sector is on the brink of a major boost as Nigerian actors are prepared to collaborate with locals.
Matarirano, who has directed several plays and starred in the acclaimed film “Chinhoyi 7” as the military advisor, shared that he has taken proactive steps to engage his Nigerian counterparts.
In an interview with the Zimpapers Arts and Entertainment Hub, Matarirano mentioned that he has connected with Kate Ezeigbo, the chairperson-elect of the Nigeria Film Festivals, to discuss this initiative.
The idea was proposed during the recent Rivers International Film Festival, where Zimbabwe’s “Chinhoyi 7” received five awards. Accompanying him were “Chinhoyi 7” director Moses Matanda and producer Tawanda Sarireni. Matarirano remarked, “Our visit to Nigeria was an eye-opener, as we were able to engage with directors about potential collaborations between our two nations. It was a fruitful engagement, and now the ball is in our court to map out a way forward.”
He shared that their talks were also blessed by the Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, who hosted the Zimbabwean entourage during their visit to the West African country.
“I can’t thank the Governor of Rivers State and his colleagues enough for having faith in us and the Zimbabwean product, “Chinhoyi 7.” After watching the movie, they asked us to forge an alliance with Nigerian directors and actors to come up with a blockbuster movie. It was heartening to see him making this suggestion to us, and we are ready to work with them,” he stressed. Matarirano, who believes in the power of collaborations, noted that “Chinhoyi 7” had opened many doors for them. “It only took “Chinhoyi 7” to convince them that we are talented and that we know what we are doing in terms of filmmaking. We are now using that feat as a launchpad to create synergies with our counterparts in Nigeria. We have been longing for this opportunity to ensure that we give fans something they can cherish,” he pointed out.
The prolific playwright, who has written several notable plays including “Mwana Wa . . . ”, “Narratives from the Dark,” and “The Trial of Nehanda,” hailed the government for making the tour of Nigeria a success.
“We could not have achieved all this without the support of our government, which made it a reality. Of course, we had gone to attend the festival and awards ceremony, but we ended up creating new synergies, paving the way for new collaborations with our Nigerian counterparts,” he said.
Matarirano continued, “Judging by Nigeria’s population of close to 235 million people, Zimbabwe can benefit from our colleagues in West Africa if we make a breakthrough.
As a country, we can learn from them through cultural exchange programmes, as we have just started engaging them. It has been my wish to see this initiative bearing fruit, and we will continue doing our best.”
Meanwhile, “Chinhoyi 7” was voted Best International Film, while Matanda won the Best Story category, Taryn Calverey won Best Editing and Sarireni won the Best Producer award. The movie, shot from 2015 to 2018, has made a significant impact.
Matarirano and his team left Harare confident that the movie will continue to penetrate the global market, especially after Africa endorsed it with six powerful nominations.
Matanda, Matarirano and Sarireni have been commended for their contributions to telling the story of Zimbabwe in a unique way through film. The trio has vowed to continue working hard to put Zimbabwe on the world map.
