Silent Mmabatho scoops top award
Omotoso’s silent film wins an award
Akin Omotoso’s Pan-African silent film, A Hotel Called Memory, won over audiences in the US, taking home the Audience Award for Favourite Experimental Film at the 6th Annual Blackstar Film Festival in Philadelphia recently.
The “tone poem” film made its world premiere at the same film festival, and tells the story of a woman who, after separating from her husband in Lagos‚ Nigeria, seeks solace in Zanzibar‚ hoping to forget her turbulent past. The film stars actresses Mmabatho Montsho and Nomzamo Mbatha. Speaking to Sowetan, Montsho said she was humbled by audience reaction.
“To shoot any film like this is amazing and gratifying as an actress, but to have people respond so well to it is just humbling,” she said.
Montsho said it was difficult to pinpoint exactly what it was that won over audiences but suggested that it may have been the film’s authenticity.
“What I loved about the film was that it was so unique and gave expression in a whole new way. When you love something as much as Akin does, it shines through and audiences pick up on that energy and the emotions of the film.”
The project was filmed in Lagos‚ Zanzibar and Cape Town‚ and sees Mbatha and Montsho play key roles.
Mbatha plays the role of a woman who is involved with the main character.
She explained that preparing for a silent film was not very different from preparing for any other film.
“When I read the script I knew that I wanted to be part of the film, which meant that I started preparing from that moment,” Mbatha said.
The film will be released in different African countries next year, including Nigeria and South Africa.