The Gentleman goes to America

It becomes the second Zimba-bwean film in recent years to grace one of the world’s prestigious film platforms after Music by Prudence, which won the Oscar for Best Documentary Short last year.
The Gentleman publicist, Batsirai Masvinge, said they were very excited about the development which he said opened the doors for co-production treaties with American or other established production houses in the world.
“Obviously, this is going to benefit the whole film community in Zimbabwe .?.?. international filmmakers will now know that there are people who can make films in Zimbabwe and would want to work with us. Our participation at the festival is also good for the publicity of the film,” said Masvinge.
He said the entrance of the film on the American festival was facilitated by one of the executive producers, Sylvia Chimhina, who is based in the United States.
The Gentleman premiered last month and is now showing at the Rainbow cinemas in Harare and Bulawayo.
It is a story of two identical twin brothers whose identical worlds have gone drastically wrong. With one staying in South Africa and the other in Zimbabwe fate throws at them financial situations that force them to drop the principles and values of integrity and pick up survival tactics: One twin fights to save the life of his wife and baby, but sticking to his Christian morals; and the other battles to save his own life. Reuniting after eight years, they get entangled into the unfamiliar worlds of Zimbabwe’s manipulative corporate darkness and South Africa’s Mafioso street corruption.
The film stars Big Brother Africa star, Munyaradzi Chidzonga as a double act of Tawanda and Takunda; Presley Chweneyagae of the Oscar-winning South African film Tsotsi, as Sipho; and also a wide range of Zimbabwean celebrated entertainers including business magnate, Phillip Chiyangwa.
Masvinge said The Gentleman premieres in Blantyre, Malawi, tomorrow after securing some partnerships with Multi-Choice Malawi and other business individuals for sponsorship.
The film was the Zimbabwean representative on the just ended African film expo in Johannesburg where it was dubbed as “Africa’s next block buster” by Screen Africa magazine.
The film was also screened at The Mannenberg in Harare in partnership with the International Images Film Festival currently underway.
He said the DVD version of the film will be released on December 20 as a Christmas present to the general public and will screen at the 7 Arts Theatre on December 22 and 24.
Masvinge also revealed that a new film, Mateo, is in the making. Shooting is expected to start next January.
“The film will create a black child hero . . . This is going to be a story of triumph that will bring a lot of hope,” he said.
Inspired by his appearance on The Gentleman, flamboyant business tycoon, Chiyangwa, comes in as the executive producer of the film. It will be directed by Joe Njagu, who also did Lobola and other film projects.