Film about struggling Stutterheim township moves residents
A vibrant movie set in impoverished Mlungisi township in Stutterheim, which was shown for free to residents in the township by director Thamsanqa Kasie, 24, drew an emotional response from the audience on Saturday.
Kasie, an Africa Film Drama Art (Afda) graduate, wrote and directed the 25-minute movie, Mlungisi, which he showed to 100 animated residents in the Mlungisi community hall. “Mlungisi was the last of three films I made to play,” Kasie said.
“People were restless before it started but when it played they watched intensely and attentively.
“Some were shouting out advice to the actors.
“Some disagreed with mob justice when that scene came.
“I was watching them watch the big screen and so many different emotions were displayed on their faces — some were excited and others became overwhelmed with emotion.”
After the screening many people, including the elderly, thanked and congratulated him, with some saying he was an inspiration to younger people in the township.
Kasie said he wanted to motivate his neighbours and friends to follow their dreams, and for young people to explore their creativity.
He said many youths in townships such as Mlungisi were not exposed to the creative industry.
However, he said anyone, even an orphan like himself from a lesser known township, could be a filmmaker — or anything they wanted to be.
He said the film about his home area was motivated by the social crises he grew up with, like drug abuse and mob justice.
The film was shot as part of his postgraduate studies and cost Kasie about R30,000 to produce.
He said the other two films he screened were Sakhumzi, a father-and-son love story, and
God among Other Things, a story about depression and psychological suffering.
“I went door-to-door and invited everyone to come to the showings,” he said.
He was deeply pleased when elderly folk said his work was a good representation of Mlungisi.
“They encouraged me to carry on. Some young people said they wanted to be actors and writers just like me.
“I lost my parents and sister before they could see my work and I wanted to watch the show with my people.
“I think that young people from communities such as where I am from don’t explore their creativity.
“I’m a doing this to motivate them to do what they are passionate about, and to stay away from drugs and other social ills.”
His deepest desire was that his films could somehow help people find answers and strive for solutions.
The films were shot in Cape Town and Port Elizabeth using young, passionate artists and graduates from Afda.
At the showing he gave the audience an insight into how he had made the films and advised those keen on breaking into the industry on the process.
“The Eastern Cape has a lot to offer the film industry,” Kasie said.
There was enough talent in the province to support a provincial film industry, he added.
“People shouldn’t have to leave the province to forge a career in the industry.”