3 Namibian Films at PAFF

Manifestation is screenwriter and director Lavinia Kapewasha having just wrapped ‘Iitandu’ (2019), her first film, and counting Issa Rae as one of her inspirations. Cut to almost exactly a year later and Kapewasha’s dystopian short is listed just two films before Rae’s on the schedule for the 27th Pan African Film and Arts Festival (PAFF) currently taking place in Los Angeles.

Kapewasha is not alone and ‘Iitandu’ makes its film festival debut alongside Joel Haikali’s ‘Invisibles (KaunaPawa)’ and Florian Schott’s ‘Baxu and the Giants’ bringing the tally of Namibian films beings screened at ‘the largest black film festival in America’ to three.

In the the PAFF’s own words, the festival’s goal is “to present and showcase the broad spectrum of black creative works, particularly those that reinforce positive images and help destroy negative stereotypes”. For Namibia’s part, Kapewasha, Haikali and Schott offer African science fiction, a silent film and a bilingual drama.

Haikali’s ‘Invisibles (KaunaPawa)’, which is yet to officially premiere in Namibia, tells the story of Kauna and Pawa, two people who feel irrelevant and find solace in each other at a low point in their lives.

“Instead of drowning together, they go on a journey of self-love and freedom,” says Haikali.

“By travelling the majestic Namibian outback, the landscape of the psyche of a post-apartheid nation and theirs, they find their place. The film has no dialogue. On a very direct level it is about those that are and feel invisible in our society, whose voices are very often not heard. I don’t put words in their mouths but I want to make them visible. Kauna and Pawa our lead characters when put together as in the title almost translates to ‘perfect nowhere’. We leave it up to the audience to interpret what that means to them.”

Juxtaposed with Kapewasha’s story of a traditional healer trying to survive a barren landscape after a deadly virus wipes out countless victims and Schott’s fantastic tale of a girl who can commune with Namibia’s endangered rhinos, ‘Invisibles (KaunaPawa)’ rounds off a miscellaneous PAFF selection from the country’s burgeoning film industry.

“You can see that Namibian films have gotten much more diverse over the last couple of years and it shows in these festival selections. As long as we continue to do unique, original and honest films, there will be an audience,” says Schott, who is presently in Los Angeles and will also be screening the film at the PAFF’s StudentFest.

“Los Angeles is the world capital for filmmakers and we feel it’s important to continue the conversation on the importance of conservation and environmental issues, especially with younger audiences,” says Schott.

Kapewasha who will also be attending the festival seeking connection and collaboration is simultaneously surprised, intimidated and honoured by her PAFF inclusion.

“I think as a young film-maker being given this opportunity, to have a seat at the table and to be in the room where it happens is a worthwhile experience,” she says.

“It’s daunting as hell but it gives you the boost as well as the knowledge to carry on further. To be given this opportunity on an international platform is a learning curve that really gives you the juice to do more and to go out there and be daring. As a young film-maker and as a young Namibian film-maker, woman, black, girl we must. We must do the things.”

With each film scheduled to be screened at Cinemark Baldwin Hills over the next week, it seems the things will certainly be done and with flair.

“The quality at which we are able to produce is amazing, and if we would tell our international colleagues at what kind of budgets we manage to pull this off, it is even more remarkable,” says Haikali proudly before urging aspiring film-makers to go ahead and make movies their own way.

“I think cinema should not influence us as a younger generation. I think we should influence cinema.”

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