The Sunday News
Raisedon Baya
SOME young filmmakers have decided to re-make or re-imagine the classic Zimbabwean film Neria.
Neria is not just a Zimbabwean classic but also holds the record of being the most successful film (on the box office) in Zimbabwe and in the region. The film featured veteran and award-winning actress Jesesi Mungoshi as Neria. It also had the charismatic Domenic Kanaventi (who relocated to Mozambique after the film) and the Kubi Indi. Most will know Kubi Indi as the name behind the successful range of cosmetics. She and her husband John Indi used to be well known actors in the region.
Besides the powerful story and the iconic acting in the film one of the major reasons for its success was the soundtrack done by the one and only Tuku (may his soul rest in peace). The title song Neria even won an award at a regional film awards in South Africa the year the film premiered. So many things made this film work and contributed to its success. Both talent and technical crew combined to deliver a masterpiece. The Zimbabwean film history can never be complete without Neria. So, it doesn’t come as a surprise to hear there are young filmmakers who want to have a go at the film.
Why it would work?
The idea of a remake is not a bad one at all as long the producers get a nod from the makers of the original. There is going to be a lot of debate and discussions on whether the remake is a good idea or not. This on its own is good publicity for the new project. There is already a lot of curiosity around the new project and this curiosity can be channelled towards viewership.
Unless they do a complete mess of the project but from the onset, they are guaranteed audiences. Old lovers of the old Neria will want to see what the new generation has done to their loved movie. So, they will go in droves. New audiences will want to see it, to see first-hand the hype about this classic and to also support their own generation of filmmakers. Critics will watch too, wanting to obviously compare the two and make their own judgments. Depending on their approach and their capabilities I believe this project at idea level is a great idea and can only fail at implementation.
Why it may not work?
First to remake a classic you need to know your game and be good at it. Why? Because everyone who watched the original will watch the remake with comparative eyes. And they will not be lenient. So, any mess up, the people will come hard on the new project. With social media hype any criticism will be shared quickly and it may affect the film at the box office. Secondly, when remaking a classic there must be something new you are bringing to the project.
Something worth all the trouble. We are all waiting to see what new thing the producers are bringing. Are they bringing a totally new cast? Are they bringing a totally new story? Are they bringing a totally new interpretation of the issues dealt in the original film? These are questions we will ask before we watch the new project.
Why we must all watch it?
The producers and cast have shown bravery to attempt a go at a classic. This alone should be applauded. Secondly this is a first I believe in remaking classic. The cast and crew could be starting a new approach or even new category of remakes of Zimbabwean classic. They need everyone’s support. This is a young crew and young cast, obviously they are making a film for their generation. They need all our support.
