Emphasising local cinema was the reason for branding the last day of screening at the fourteenth edition of the Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF), last month, as “Swahili Day – Bongo Movies”.

It was after this that the large white screen, was taken down, folded and put away until next year’s episode. A selection of locally-made films were shown at the various screening venues throughout the day and the evening had its own special way of bringing an end to this yearly film extravaganza, right here on the Tanzanian Isles.

Amongst the audience that filled the amphitheatre of the Old Fort that evening was a number of people involved in the local film industry, in one way or another.

Needless to say many of the popular actors, actresses, producers and directors were present mingling with other spectators of all ages. Now it has become history that two local feature films had their world premiers on June 26, 2011, at the ZIFF.

These were Glamour, which was written and directed by Amitabh Aurora and Ray of Hope, the product of Sameer Srivastava. Glamour came on to occupy the first 86-minutes of the evening’s screening. It shows the life of a Muslim Zanzibar girl, Sophia, who has had dreams of becoming a model from her childhood. While growing-up she has to battle with her conservative mother, who constantly reminds her how she sacrificed all for her daughter.

Besides all the odds Sophia is lucky enough to find opportunities with celebrated local fashion designer, Mustafa Hassanali and famous Zanzibar photographer Javed Jafferji. However, as is too often the case, once successful, her ego allows her to neglect and mistreat those who helped her to the top.

Soon she is forced to desperate levels so that she can maintain her position. Simply put, this film tries to give an insight behind the glamorous modelling industry. Judging by the applause it got at the end of the screening, it certainly went down well with the audience present that evening.

Then it came the turn to screen the 150-minute feature film, Ray of Hope, by Dar es Salaam-based Sameer Srivastava. This tells the story of an accomplished young business executive called Annette. Through her work for an advertising agency, which had much fresh innovative ideas, they were successful.

Not too long after they had thanked her openly for her valuable contribution to the company’s success she discovers that she is carrying the HIV/AIDS virus. Immediately her life is turned upside down when her employer and work colleagues learn of her condition. Now all the achievements have instantly been forgotten and she is thrown out like an unwanted dog.

The spectators sat through this film right to the end and once again showed their appreciation with a round of applause. The previous evening, when Srivastava went up to collect the trophy for Best Feature Film in the Swahili Awards section, she admitted being so nervous that she was trembling.

It was only after coming here that the former Bollywood actress had started directing films. She told the ‘Star’ that she had noticed there is a lot of talent here, which needed boosting, so she was doing her part towards this end. Her reasons for choosing such a topic for this film were also revealed to the ‘Star’.

“This is a universal topic. Many people are suffering and are being humiliated. People have discriminated against such people and I have seen them. So I just thought why not make a film, which is entertaining as well as gives a message to normal people in the form of education that HIV/AIDS does not spread from touching others,” she said.

She had also try to show how people, who loved the heroine immediately change, after getting to know that she had the disease. She wanted to highlight this issue, which took her four to five months to write and 10 days to shoot it.

There was another 10 days to edit. Now she says she wants to share this message with other people around the world by taking the film to all the festivals she can. Between the screening of the two films the out-going Festival Director and CEO, Professor Martin Mhando, asked for a minute silence to be observed for the novelist, script writer and filmmaker, Hammie Rajab, who passed away last April 21.

This is the local man that is responsible for Banki Yako, Misitu ni Uhai, Jifunze Kusoma and Watoto Wana Haki na Usawa.

Copyright: https://www.dailynews.co.tz - IMAN MANI