Student sci-fi movie scoops regional awards
took eight Durban film students a weekend, R1 400, copious amounts of coffee and little sleep to make an award-winning sciencefiction movie.
“It was hard work. Too much pressure, too much stress. But in the end, we had to make it work,” said producer Kareena Tulsee.
Her team’s award-winning submission, titled E775, is a short science-fiction film about a deadly virus unleashed in the year 2028. It was created during the Durban leg of The 48 Hour Film Project, an international filmmaking contest last month. It won regional awards for having the best visual effects and for being the best team production, as well as the Audience Award.
E775— just over six minutes long — is set in an era when human life is sustained by rechargeable batteries. The trouble begins when the E775 virus, which inhibits peoples’ ability to recharge themselves, begins to spread.
“When people die normally [in the fictitious future of the film], there is a small switch inside them that is triggered to record and show the last 30 seconds of their life, as seen from the point of view of the dying person. One of the effects of the virus is to cut down on that time,” said Tulsee.
The victims’ dying seconds are pivotal to the plot, which hints at a government conspiracy. The film team, all Boston Media House Umhlanga third-year film students, collaborated on the outline of the story and assigned each member a role in creating the film. Chengan co-wrote the script, and directed with assistant director Zama Khanyile. Tulsee was the producer, Zama Buthelezi shot and acted in the film, Zanele Mthembu acted and co-wrote the script, Simphiwe Kubheka did makeup, props and costumes, Sindi Nkomo was the sound engineer, and Lehlohonolo Nyama acted in and edited the final product.
Nyama said that the biggest challenge came at the beginning when they picked science fiction, which is considered one of the most difficult genres in the contest.
Kubheka said the most challenging part for the team was coming up with the script.
“We only got the genre on Friday night” and had to submit by 7pm on the Sunday.