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BY TINASHE SIBANDA
One of the country’s recent film productions, a romantic comedy titled Playing Warriors, that was launched at a red carpet cocktail premier late last year has finally come to the Rainbow cinemas in Harare and Bulawayo until the end of the month.
The film was written and directed by award-winning filmmaker, Rumbi Katedza.
It is a feature film focusing on the lives of four friends who are modern young women in the city and how they struggle to find a balance between the traditional expectations of their parents and society and their own dreams.
“As the film is reaching out to the locals, it is also making its way out into the world. I recently returned from the Goteborg International Film Festival in Sweden where the film had its first outing for an international audience,” said Katedza.
She said the response the film got in Sweden was very good.
“Audiences were intrigued and they had come out in their numbers to watch the film. They were eager to learn more about Zimbabwe.
“It was very gratifying to know that the film could ‘travel’ and that people outside Zimbabwe got the point of the film and its statement about women empowering themselves — in spite of differences in culture,” said Katedza.
The film is also showing at the Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles where it was nominated for an award for Best Director — First Feature Film category.
Katedza said it was exciting to have been nominated for an award at a prestigious festival.
“The film has also been accepted for the New York African Film Festival and will screen at the Sonoma Film Festival in California in April,” she said.
She said she began writing the film in 2003 and the plot had changed with time because it was based on personal experiences.
Besides exploring women’s issues, the film brings to the fore the tradition of paying lobola, what it means and how it is perceived by different players.
“It is fun but it also makes us think a little, about the choices we make, about the choices that are perhaps forced on us and it is about being true to oneself,” she said.
In the film the audiences will join Nyarai and her friends on a journey of discovery of what it means to be a modern woman as they figure out the direction in which to take their lives, without simultaneously upsetting too many people.
Shot in and around the capital, the film features popular artists like Kudzai Sevenzo, Prudence Katomeni Mbofana, Tendai Musoni and Nothando Nobengula. Also featured in the film are the likes of Walter Mparutsa, Elizabeth Nyanguridza, Edmore Sandifolo and John Pfumojena.
Other humorous cameo roles were from Gavin Peters, Edgar Langeveldt, Michael Kudakwashe and Ben Mahaka.
“The soundtrack showcases a variety of local talent such as Simba Tags, Prayersoul, Junior Bantan, Enqore and Roki. We also had a remix of Chiwoniso Maraire’s song Ndofandichibaiwa featuring rapper Blackbird.”
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