The Sunday News
Nkosilesisa Ncube, Sunday Life Reporter
Just a day after being released on YouTube, local filmmaker Daniel Lasker’s production, The Way It Is, had already reached 2 000 views and these continued to increase over the course of the week, with Wednesday seeing the film advance towards 6 000 views.
A first timer at filmmaking, Lasker said he had always wanted to work in film and found the experience of doing so quite rewarding.
“I have always had a huge passion for acting and movies, but up until the beginning of this year, I had never imagined I would create any. Since there is no abundance of films being produced here for me to act in, I decided that one of the only ways I could be involved in some sort of film whilst living here, would be to create them myself. This unfortunately meant that if I was to direct the films and create them accurately to my vision, I wouldn’t be able to act in them, as I would be the guy behind the camera. Everything I know about film and photography is self taught in less than a year and I do enjoy it greatly, even though I much prefer acting myself,” said the 17-year-old who worked alongside indie filmmaker Nigel Ndlovu to put the film together.
The Way It Is is an eight-minute film about a teenage boy who is living alone on the streets because both of his parents died and he has no family or friends to go to. It illustrates how alone and unwanted this street boy feels, but how amid his situation, he is still able to remain a caring human being and give so much of himself towards the end.
The film is aimed at creating and conveying a special message about human relations and the gist of the film can be captured in its powerful afterword which reads, “Quite often the people who are most in need are the ones who are most willing to give.”
According to Lasker, although filming was a rewarding experience, it did not come without challenges. The main struggle with the project was finding a convenient time for all cast and crew members to come together for the necessary shots. As a result, they had to do with a limited number of shots; this did not however, compromise the quality of the film.
“Another limiting factor was the amount of equipment we had. We did this project off of a zero budget and really had to work with what we had. All in all, it really was a fun project and I look forward to making my next one soon,” he said.
Only time will tell if the positive reception of The Way It Is is merely beginner’s luck or if Lasker really has found his niche in film.
The film is trending on YouTube and Lasker urged the public to watch it and give feedback. He is also working on a number of projects which he will be able to share in time.
@nkocykay
