Anti-poaching film to debut in Hollywood

GONAREZHOU, a movie meant to bring the struggle against poaching to the big screen, is set to make its debut at the ongoing PanAfrican Film and Arts Festival in Los Angeles, United States of America.

Directed by Sydney Taivavashe, Gonarezhou was produced with assistance from the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Authority.

The film, which is set for two separate screenings on 17 and 21 February, has also been nominated in the Best First Feature Narrative at the same festival.

Established in 1992, The Pan African Film

Festival (PAFF) is a non-profit corporation dedicated to the promotion of cultural understanding among peoples of African descent. According to PAFF, the festival is also dedicated to racial tolerance through the exhibition of film, art and creative expression.

PAFF has premièred and hosted special screenings of top black films including Black Panther (US), Think Like a Man (US), Vaya (South Africa/Nigeria), The CEO (Nigeria), Free Angela and All Political Prisoners (US), Love & Basketball (US), 93 Days (Nigeria), Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary (US), Triangle: Coming to America (Ethiopia), Burning Sands (US), among others.

The film tracks the life of Zulu, an honourable rural man, whose survival is a constant battle living in a village with a large animal population.

According to the film synopsis, “although he dreams of becoming an acclaimed musician and taking care of his ailing mother; in reality, he is a broken-hearted drunk.

Eventually, his anger towards life thrusts him into the arms of poachers who become his family.

Together, they become a notorious and successful gang of poachers under the charge of a vicious tycoon.

However, the authorities begin to close in on the gang, and he makes plans to escape with his newly found love Thulo after one last job.”