‘Wavered’ stumbles again

THE payment problems plaguing the on-again, off-again Nujoma movie ‘Where Others Wavered’ continued yesterday, when the director, Charles Burnett, and his American contingent stopped filming because of non-payment.

According to a crew member, who spoke on condition of anonymity, Namibian crew members arrived at the sound stage at the Windhoek Showgrounds yesterday morning, but the call “Action!” never came. BEHIND SCHEDULE The movie has been hit by a wave of stoppages as, one after the other, crew members, cast members and extras have refused to continue working because of non-payment.As a result, shooting is way behind schedule.In the latest incident, the crew member who spoke to The Namibian yesterday said they only found out at around 11h00 that the American contingent – Burnet, his director of photography, a cameraman, a line producer and another crew member – had refused to continue working unless their money problems were resolved.According to Executive Producer Uazuva Kaumbi, this time the problem concerned foreign currency transfers which would allow the five to be paid in US dollars.Kaumbi said the American crew had wanted confirmation that the money had been transferred to their foreign accounts.According to him, this eventually came in the form of a letter from the Namibia Film Commission instructing the bank to make the transfers.The principal photography resumed around five in the afternoon, Kaumbi said.But, with this latest hurdle cleared, the production is now in a race against time after numerous stoppages because of financial problems, which have spawned something of a sideshow, if not a soap opera, in their own right.Three scenes were to be shot last night, including one of Sam Nujoma’s historic meeting with Julius Nyerere and also the scene of Nujoma sending a telegraph to the United Nations in 1958.”We will be working flat-out over the weekend,” Kaumbi said.He added that they would push to make up for lost time before July 11, when cast and crew head to Katima Mulilo to continue filming there.Producer Abius Akwaake is already in Katima to prepare for the arrival of the filmmakers.Kaumbi’s latest estimate is that the filming will be completed by the end of August.BEHIND SCHEDULE The movie has been hit by a wave of stoppages as, one after the other, crew members, cast members and extras have refused to continue working because of non-payment.As a result, shooting is way behind schedule.In the latest incident, the crew member who spoke to The Namibian yesterday said they only found out at around 11h00 that the American contingent – Burnet, his director of photography, a cameraman, a line producer and another crew member – had refused to continue working unless their money problems were resolved.According to Executive Producer Uazuva Kaumbi, this time the problem concerned foreign currency transfers which would allow the five to be paid in US dollars.Kaumbi said the American crew had wanted confirmation that the money had been transferred to their foreign accounts. According to him, this eventually came in the form of a letter from the Namibia Film Commission instructing the bank to make the transfers.The principal photography resumed around five in the afternoon, Kaumbi said.But, with this latest hurdle cleared, the production is now in a race against time after numerous stoppages because of financial problems, which have spawned something of a sideshow, if not a soap opera, in their own right.Three scenes were to be shot last night, including one of Sam Nujoma’s historic meeting with Julius Nyerere and also the scene of Nujoma sending a telegraph to the United Nations in 1958.”We will be working flat-out over the weekend,” Kaumbi said.He added that they would push to make up for lost time before July 11, when cast and crew head to Katima Mulilo to continue filming there.Producer Abius Akwaake is already in Katima to prepare for the arrival of the filmmakers.Kaumbi’s latest estimate is that the filming will be completed by the end of August.