A ghost bride, sibling saboteur and the horrors of human trafficking were at the centre of three Namibian films screened at the European Union (EU) Film Festival in Windhoek last week.
The local films capped a free, nine-week festival that invited film lovers to enjoy a selection of European cinema at Ster-Kinekor every Wednesday, hosted by Bongani Soul.
“Cinema is an engine for empathy,” said EU ambassador to Namibia Ana-Beatriz Martins, quoting British film critic Mark Kermode, at the closing event.
“Indeed, we have laughed, cried a lot and we have empathised with the feelings of many different characters in the movies we’ve seen from Austria, France and Denmark,” Martins said.
“Tonight is a highlight, because we will be empathising with lots of emotions and seeing art from young Namibian film-makers.”
First to hit the screen was a film titled ‘The Susan Situation’. The short comedy was shot in and around the Franco-Namibian Cultural Centre and is a result of the festival’s film production workshop facilitated by longtime film-maker Caleb Sindano.
“One of the highlights of this year’s festival was our cellphone video production workshop, which ran in parallel to the festival,” Martins said.
“After successful sessions in the north, south, and west of Namibia, we hosted the final round in Windhoek. We had 15 young film-makers who learnt how to shoot, produce, direct, and edit their own films, all using their cellphones.”
Emphasising the film-making power inherent in a device many of us carry around each day, ‘The Susan Situation’ is a serviceable little comedy elevated by the talent of lead actress Chelsi Shikongo.
Next to grace the screen was Iman Ayisha and Roger Rafael’s ‘The B2 Passage’. Starring Khadijah Mouton, Adriano Paulus and Mukendu Ndjavera, the film brought a local legend to life with stylish cinematography.
“This is a short film inspired by the legend of Namibia’s hitchhiking ghost bride,” said Ayisha, who wrote and produced the film.
“Everyone I checked in with knows a very different version of this story, yet none of them have been represented in media,” she said.
“This version of the story explores the cyclical nature of grief and mistakes and how to move on from them. I hope the hidden messages in this will really make people think about what this legend could mean, more than just a spooky tale we were told.”
Pivoting from local legends to real-life horror, the last film to be screened was ‘Snare’.
The film stars Odile Gertze, NSK and Gino Chiappini in an effective and well-acted drama about black-market organ trading.
“When I did the first version, it was a five-minute school film, and that got a standing ovation,” says ‘Snare’ writer and director Mubiana.
“I came back to Namibia and re-pitched the film to the film commission. They gave me the opportunity to actually tell the story of ‘Snare’, expanding the idea of how a family can be ripped apart by the curse of human trafficking.”
The festival’s closing event also included a certificate ceremony for the young creatives who completed the video production workshop.
“Congratulations on completing your workshops. We are very proud of you. We look forward to seeing what you guys are going to do next,” said Namibia Film Commission chairperson Esther Beukes, addressing the workshop participants.
“To the film-makers in the room, thank you for your dedication to the craft and for making Namibian stories shine. I’d like to encourage you to keep investing in yourselves and keep raising the standards of what local films should look like,” she said.
“Push yourselves to be able to compete on the global stages, because that’s where we belong.”
Beukes also encouraged local film lovers to continue supporting Namibian cinema.
“Every event you attend, every ticket you buy is an investment in the film industry,” she said.
“Keep making an effort to show up.”
– martha@namibian.com.na; Martha Mukaiwa on Twitter and Instagram; marthamukaiwa.com
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