‘Wrong Generation’ tells story of protest, pain, strength

The upcoming Namibian film ‘Wrong Generation’ is making waves on social media platforms, even before its release early next year.

The trailer has been widely shared, and people are talking about its strong message on protesting, social justice and the struggles young people face.

The film is produced by Dark Crown Production, while Wrong Generation Productions is the executive producer under award-winning author and activist Ndiilokelwa Nthengwe.

Speaking to The Namibian this week, Nthengwe said the film speaks to real issues affecting young people in Namibia and across Africa.

“The message we hoped the trailer would provoke is that we have arrived. Finally. This is our moment,” said Nthengwe.

The film is written by Shili Munyama and produced with support from the Marang Fund. It is based on the 2022 book, ‘You F*cked With The Wrong Generation: An Ode To Modern-Day Activism’ written by Nthengwe.

‘Wrong Generation’ follows a group of childhood friends who reconnect after a series of brutal murders. One of the victims is someone they grew up with. Their pain pushes them to start a major protest – one of the biggest in post-apartheid Namibia. The film showcases, through their story, the anger, courage and unity that shaped recent youth-led movements in the country.

Nthengwe said the movie will speak to audiences across the continent and beyond.

“Our international audience will be drawn to the diversity in storytelling from all the different seasoned and junior actors on the screen… for some, it would be their very first time working on a film of such scale and cultural impact,” she said.

She added that the film has already gained the support of activists in Madagascar, Mauritius, Botswana, Lesotho, South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, Trinidad, Cameroon and Zimbabwe.

“All these countries are home to African intersectional feminists. The trailer was screened in front of a global audience during a Women20 side event in Johannesburg,” she said.

According to Dark Crown Productions co-founder and filmmaker Lavinia Kapewasha, making the film was difficult because of its sensitive topic.

“Bringing ‘Wrong Generation’ to the screen wasn’t just hard, it was genuinely terrifying,” says Kapewasha.

“This is our first feature, tackling the dark heart of Namibia’s most prominent social issue: sexual and gender-based violence and femicide.”

She says trying to document the energy and passion of the 2020 and 2021 protests seemed almost impossible at first.

“How the hell were we going to portray that intensity, that energy and that massive youth-led movement on screen? We couldn’t mess this up,” she adds. Without a big budget, the team relied on creativity, teamwork and community assistance. Many extras in the film had taken part in the real protests, adding veracity to such scenes. Filming occurred in real locations, including Independence Avenue, with authorities having been informed beforehand to prevent confusion during the protest scenes.

Kapewasha says they felt obligated to honour the real activism behind the story, particularly because Nthengwe was one of the leaders of the movements.

“The benchmark for the film had been set. It was high. And we had to deliver,” she says.

Nthengwe said more promotional activities are planned before the film premieres in 2026.

“Our next promotional milestones will include special interview features by activists who were involved in the protests, and the creatives on the film itself,” she said.

She said audiences will soon see more from the leading actors of the film, Hazel Conchata, Gloria Del Mar and Ngunde Feroake, who carry the story with “confidence and purpose”.

The South African creatives who supported the film will be part of the premiere. “There’s so much more we must share. We can’t wait,” Nthengwe said.

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.