Grand reception for Sores of Emmanuel

Only last week, a new, entirely Zimbabwean film, Sores of Emmanuel, premiered at a cinema in the capital; and the general response was “fantastic”; this is a film to watch — probably for every Zimbabwean.
The 1 hour 50 minutes long film is about the trials and tribulations of a widower — Emmanuel Mutema, played by Edmore Sandifolo — as he strove to provide for his four children after he lost his job in the city. But when his son picks a gem on the riverbanks, this gives him a fresh ray of hope to redeem his washed out parenthood.
However, getting the diamonds and selling them are two different things with potentially devastating consequences.
Sores of Emmanuel is nothing less or more than a slapstick of a film that has always been a missing link in most Zimbabwean productions: Besides its happy ending, the film has hilarious scenes that evoke long-lost memories of childhood for the new urbanites — scenes that will make you laugh your lungs out with nostalgia.
Seasoned film producer and director, Nakai Matema, commended the producers and said it was a “positive development”.
Given the fact that new film producers were cropping up on the scene, she hoped that “all young filmmakers should come up into a community (of filmmakers) and not do it in isolation”.
She said this would facilitate the sharing of ideas and knowledge so there can be an improvement on productions and the growth of film in the country.
However, she had reservations. The story was there, she said, but two hours was a little bit too long — I would definitely make it shorter. The script needed a little bit of editing. There were definitely scenes that had nothing to do with the story, but were just pushing the story.
They might have been funny, but add nothing to the story. She also raised serious concerns on the use of English as the medium of communication.
“Can we respect our language — scenes from kumusha (the rural areas) should have just been done in our local language because film is real. Can the language be the real reflection of the place the person is . . . in other words, language should be appropriate with the character”.
Though the film suffered some occasional lapses in its storyline, it obviously is a much better production than the all-too-banal “igwe” stuff of witchcraft, chiefs and love triangles.
Matema said: “The production design is much better than the Nigerian films; it’s a step up on the Nigerian films . . . but perhaps we come from different schools of filmmaking, theirs is like inclined towards money making and we are on the artistic side.”
Technically, Matema said, there were some scenes in the film that were too long and unnecessary and some that needed to be punchy and more direct.
While the film has sub-titles from the beginning, somehow, along the way, they just vanish. Though it might have been deliberate, this leaves a vacuum for some who depend on them.
Executive producer, Shadreck Kazingizi, said the film gobbled some US$70 000 and the cast and crew were on set for 40 days.
The rural setting was done in the Shambahweta area in Murehwa. The cast includes other popular actors on the Zimbabwean scene such as Charity Dlodlo (who played Mai Madziva in the popular soap Studio 263), Tonderayi Chiyindiko (Jabu in Studio 263) and ZBC newscaster and presenter, Marian Shaba). Child actors Shingi Ziwange (Dadi), Biswell Hussein Biswell (Steve), Stella Kazingizi (Anna) and Ryan Tanatswa Hussein (Kiri), acquitted themselves well.
Other members of the cast include Antony Tongai, Blessing Chimowa, Kenny Kondo and Shingirai Mokina.
The film was written and directed by Edmore Ndhlovu.
Kazingizi said he was “very happy” with the response he got on the premiere “since it was the first feature film after Tanyaradzwa”.
“Our aim in the film was to talk about Zimbabwe, by the Zimbabweans themselves and for Zimbabweans,” he said adding that plans are afoot to take it to Bulawayo and Mutare “after which we intend to take it to the diasporans”.
He said they would have liked to premiere the film in the United Kingdom, but are hamstrung by funding problems.
Kazingizi said when he undertook to produce the film, he just wanted to “promote the film industry in the country in response to calls for more Zimbabwean films because of the Zimbabwean culture, its people and climate, etc”.