The Sunday News
Sunday Life Reporter
WHEN one talks about movie films that have be done in the country by local artists the catalogue is not very long and includes movie films such as Yellow Card, Jiti, Neria and a variety of soap operas that only came into the picture at the turn of the millennium such as Studio 263 and Amakorokoza.
That is as far as the country’s film industry goes although there are a number of dramas that the country’s artists have produced.
A new movie is however in the incubator if the author Dorcas Maseko pursues her brilliant script and manages to get a good cast to the movie.
From the script one cannot help but imagine it being performed on the stage but the question is, do we have the means to produce top of the shelf movies that can compete internationally.
There is no doubt however, that every good movie is a product of a well written script, which is what Maseko had just done.
The movie film script that she titled, ‘The Brotherly Blood Covenant’ is about two cousin brothers Dennis and Fred whose fathers Bruce and Nigel Johnson are blood brothers.
And after Nigel’s wife died Bruce and his wife Isabella took care of Fred who was a few months younger than Dennis their son.
The two cousin brothers grew up together out of ill fate and were inseparable although they were different in their own way.
They attended the same school and were successful in their education and the careers that they chose. They became reputable professionals and started their own business.
But just as they were growing their business empire fate followed them. They became involved and it is their involvement that led to the tragedy that plunged their proud parents into mourning.
And one day years after the tragedy had struck and fate had determined the two cousin brothers’ destiny, Bruce was seated in the basement of his house and he discovered there was a small box in a drawer.
On opening the drawer a lot of puzzles on the life of his two ‘sons’ were revealed to him.
He broke down as it became clear to him that it was not only fate but the ‘boys’ had made a blood covenant that they kept.
The movie film concept fits very well in both the European and African contexts as it was done brilliantly.
It fits in the African context in the way the family grew up, the extended family values which are purely African are explored while the whole script revolves on the blood covenant which is more of a European belief of bonding relationships.
And if it is supported by an able cast, then the country will have something to be proud of.
Maseko is the author of the book, ‘The Kind of Love We Deserve’ and said she was inspired to write the movie by the life of her two boys.
She says through the movie script she seeks to bridge the yawning gap that exists between Zimbabwean film industry and other African countries that are taking the arts industry seriously and are employing thousands of people while racking in a lot of revenue from the industry.
Maseko also says the film industry is one important way through which the country can tell its story and package its history, beliefs, values, as well as drive the national culture, ideology and ethos in an entertaining way.
“If I fail to put together resources to produce a complete movie I will sell the script to those with the means either regionally or internationally.
The most important thing is that it will remain my story whether performed in Nigeria, South Africa, UK or America. I am happy I did my homework,” she said.
