Getting to know Girley Jazama

Within 10 years, Girley Jazama is at the Academy Awards. She is represented by one of the top talent agencies in the world. She has been flawlessly styled by Jason Bolden and is accepting an Oscar for a role played alongside Viola Davis and Denzel Washington. Though she’s based in Namibia, the country she loves, her impact and work are global.

That’s the dream. And if the past few years are any indication of Jazama’s ability to transform her vision into reality, such sparkling success is plausibly in the pipeline. 

Just ask anyone who has watched ‘The White Line’ (2019), a historical film produced and starring Jazama as a defiant domestic worker during apartheid.

Recently nominated for best actor and Sotigui of the African Public accolades at Burkina Faso’s Sotigui Awards for this role, the multiple award-winning filmmaker is also the co-writer and producer of ‘Baxu and the Giants’, Namibia’s first film to stream on Netflix.

While many are just getting to know Jazama, the actress, screenwriter and producer has long been hard at work writing and acting for television in ‘The Ties that Bind Us’, starring in theatre plays such as ‘Revere Them Those Men’ and sinking her teeth into local acting roles ranging from ‘The Game’, ‘Cries at Night’ and ‘Three and a Half Lives of Philip Wetu’ to ‘100 Bucks’ and ‘Underneath the Sky’.

Born at Okahandja and raised at Karibib, the rapidly rising star discovered her interest in storytelling at a young age.

“I think my interest in drama or acting started at school. We had a drama teacher, Ms Heidi Thal, with her we performed ‘The Lion King’, and I played the role of Rafiki.

“We also had a musical and I performed as James Brown. We would build our own sets and costumes after school and I guess my love for the performing arts started there,” says Jazama, who describes herself as a loner as a child.

“I think my brothers and sisters can attest to the fact that I lived in my own little world. We lived in this old Victorian house with this really big porch and I would sit in the corner writing my stories. 

“I guess as a middle child of seven, I wanted that world to myself. I didn’t like playing games. I actually still don’t so I preferred doing things on my own. I think, inherently, I always knew I wanted to be a storyteller.”

Though at the time exposure to film in Namibia was less likely than career expos pushing science and engineering, Jazama eventually studied drama and creative writing at the College of the Arts and dovetailed into film-making through her work as a copywriter. 

Her job with Adforce put her in touch with Optimedia, its sister production company, and she landed an acting gig as Pretty in ‘The Ties That Bind Us’ before eventually writing an episode.

“Over the years, because of my involvement in acting – be it television, film or theatre and as a copywriter – I have built an understanding of each part of the film-making process,” says Jazama. 

“I learned by doing and I think that is the best way to learn. You make mistakes and you learn from those mistakes. You then know how best to approach the next project by applying those lessons learned.”

Learning most of what she knows about film-making through practice, Jazama refined her acting talent through various workshops and at Hollywood Immersive.

“I believe in continuous development and, in 2017, I attended Hollywood Immersive. Creating opportunities that allow me to explore my passion is something we were encouraged to do at Hollywood Immersive’s business of acting class presented by Mark Gantt,” says Jazama, who returned from Los Angeles inspired and so didn’t hesitate when ‘The White Line’ director Desiree Kahikopo approached her to be the film’s lead actress and co-producer.

“Our Namibian industry will force you to diversify in order to stay relevant,” says Jazama.

“In Namibia film is seasonal. Yes, I love acting but you don’t always get cast as an actress, which is why I also write and produce as a means to create opportunities in the industry for myself. It also allows me to create a network of people I can collaborate with.”

While Jazama is certainly proving herself adept at various aspects of filmmaking, acting is the star’s first love.

“What pulls me into acting is that it is a way to explore life and human emotion. I love observing behaviour and using it in my characters. Quite often, I’ll have a song that I listen to on the side off set that connects me to the character,” says Jazama, who has been cast in Perivi Katjavivi’s upcoming feature ‘Under the Hanging Tree’.

“Acting affords me the opportunity to know myself. It gives me the opportunity to understand my fellow man through the depiction and experience of living even a fraction of their life.”

Currently a glittering Sotigui nominee while encouraging viewers to support ‘Baxu and the Giants’ on Netflix, Jazama is certainly an immensely talented filmmaker to watch and celebrate with.

“It is so beautiful to witness how the rest of Namibia is celebrating this Netflix win with us and I would like to thank Namibia for the support,” she says. 

“Hopefully this win as an industry will encourage the private sector to invest in our stories and the industry. We made it to Netflix. Our stories are worth investing in.”

In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.