On location for ‘Tjitji’ in the North of Namibia, Oshosheni Hiveluah had no power, no art department, no make-up personnel and no script supervisor.
On location for ‘Tjitji’ in the North of Namibia, Oshosheni Hiveluah had no power, no art department, no make-up personnel and no script supervisor. What she had instead was the heat, a group of first time actors, a stirring story, two hours of rehearsal and Renier de Bruyn.
Though the odds weren’t terribly in her favour, this unlikely movie mix was exactly what was required to win Best Narrative Film and Best Cinematography at the Namibian Theatre and Film Awards (NTFAs) held at the National Theatre of Namibia (NTN) last week.
No stranger to producing films that seduce spectators, Hiveluah has presumably placed her Best Narrative Film trophy right next to the one she received in 2012 when she won the NTFA’s Audience Choice award for ‘100 Bucks’.
Moving from the urban drama of ‘100 Bucks’ to rural Epupa for ‘Tjttji – The Himba Girl’, Hiveluah showcases her knack for distilling affecting narratives from contemporary Namibian society into pithy and poignant slices of cinema.
Though Hiveluah is both a writer and a film director, this time she left the writing to Toucy Tjijombo who wrote the original story which screenwriters Sophie Mukenge Kabongo and Ingrid Kinda adapted for screen. The result of their efforts was a solid five NTFA nominations including Best Original Screenplay as well as nods for Best Original Music Score, Best Cinematography, Best Director and Best Narrative Film.
With tradition versus modernity as its central theme in a story about chasing one’s dreams, ‘Tjitji’ gives the audience some insight into one of the most enigmatic tribes in the country.
Revered for their elegance and as keepers of tradition, contemporary representations of the Himba people generally focus on them as mute, Luddite type characters with their struggles and stories narrated by a disembodied outsider.
Whether it is real or romanticised, ‘Tjitji’ gives the Himba people a voice and the film’s appeal lies in the fact that it is not much different from anyone else’s.
The eponymous protagonist played by Uno Kamoruao is a young girl like any other and her trial is the universal quest of trying to follow one’s dreams without hurting or forsaking the people and things held dear.
Deftly humanising the Himba within striking scenes brought to life through the dynamic efforts of cinematographer Renier de Bruyn and director Oshosheni Hiveluah, ‘Tjitji’ strikes the right note of mysterious society, individualism and charming premise with Tjitji’s greatest wish being no less than becoming a television talk show host.
“I think people enjoyed this film because they could relate to the human aspect in the story which may have inspired them to follow their own dreams,” says Hiveluah.
“It was very important and vital for us to not portray some of the cultural aspects as a negative thing, hence the inclusion of funny and light and hopefully inspiring moments in the film. I felt it important to portray Tjitji as a person we can all relate to. Who also laughs and gets angry. Just because she’s a Himba girl, it doesn’t mean she doesn’t have dreams and ambitions too.”
Certainly singular and adorably anthropological, ‘Tjitji’ will soon be screened for the community who helped make the film in Epupa before embarking on its quest to crack the film festival circuit with its modern tale about a traditional girl.
– @marth__vader on Twitter and martha@namibian.com.na
