Silver Screen: Happy Unity Day

With Tafadzwa Zimoyo
“Let’s preach unity, the gospel of peace, tranquillity and love”, said one philosopher. Today the nation celebrates Unity Day, a day where President Mugabe and the late Vice President Joshua Nkomo signed the Unity Accord in 1987.

Television in Zimbabwe will be exciting not just because it’s a holiday but somehow they will dedicate entertainment towards the day.

For those who love history, this is the time to rekindle the moments of understanding and getting full facts on what happened.

Yes, some might say I am biased, but the programming will be centred on that.

On to music videos, this is also the time when we are taken back to view videos on themed Unity Day.

Please ZBC TV don’t let us down. Sometimes we want to be brought closer home with quality and informative programming.

Allow me to give them an applause that in this festive mood, the programming is changing by the day based on the spirit.

Yes, something for everyone although the repeats are sometimes boring but, hey, Rome was not built in a day.

Last week you took me by surprise on one of your live interviews where you usually host celebrities who include musicians, designers and models.

The interview featured one of the award winning fashion designers and creative director, Ngugi Vere, who flew all the way from South Africa, not only to attend the Zim hip-hop awards show but was also hosting a fashion hub show.

Your set up for the interview was not excellent let alone the backdrop.

I know you will use the blue screen with some software, I don’t know later but the picture that went viral means a lot.

The interviewee and interviewer, if I am not mistaken, both sat on kitchen chairs.

When will you learn?

Who is to blame, don’t we have creative directors or we don’t have funds.

To add salt to injury, some of the locals made noise about it on social media and the picture went viral.

I am patriotic but what will other countries say when they see such a picture taken from a national television studio?

I hope you will rectify the problem, because what we see is what we get.

On to DStv, locally produced movie, “Playing Warriors” premièred last weekend on DStv’s Zambezi Magic channel 120.

They have also said it will air this January!

This is good news to us as we are continuing to dominate on the African platform.

I always said that Zimbabweans are talented; given an opportunity they can run the world with their artistry.

The film – “Playing Warriors” – is centred on a twenty-something advertising executive, Nyarai, who finds out that her best friend Nonto is getting married. She and her lawyer friend Maxi are sent into a frenzy thinking that their time to find “Mr Right” may be running out.

Interesting plot, typically Zimbabwean as this is actually happening in some cases.

The film stars Kudzai Sevenzo, Edmore Sandifolo and Tendai Musoni among others and was directed by Rumbi Katedza.

Well, well, on a sad and happier note, as some might want to put it, the nominees for the Africa Magic Viewers Choice awards were announced last week.

No Zimbabwe on the map.

I have a question that I am posing to the show organisers and Multichoice Zimbabwe if not Africa: are our local productions not fit for the category and have you enlightened the producers, directors and actors about what takes place?

My understanding is that the nomination comes and is for those who have been aired on Africa Magic channel.

Are we still so far or yet near to originality?

But if that is the case then, why can’t we have a representation of our own, I mean having a slot to present the award?

For how long will we continue to give South Africa, Ghana and Nigeria an opportunity to shine when we can.

Please Mr show organiser consider my plea on behalf of other countries which are not represented and at the same time it is a wake up call to film directors, producers to pull up their socks to land a spot in the nomination next year.

Enough said, happy viewing and Merry Christmas!!!