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Award gives local HIV/AIDS film a flying start
Kuben Chetty. Sunday Tribune Magazine - 13 April 2003. Republished courtesy of Independent Newspapers (Pty) Ltd
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A KZN-based production company is planning to turn its international award-winning short film, which approaches HIV/AIDS in a different light, into a full-length feature.
Seven-year-old Zama Mhlangu, who hails from a village in Ixopo, never dreamed that she would act in a short film that would be shown at the Sundance, Tampere, Banff and Durban International Film Festivals. The Sky In Her Eyes tells the story of a young girl who loses her mother to AIDS and who finds consolation when a young boy allows her to release her mother's spirit through his kite. Providing a view of HIV/AIDS seldom seen, the innocent yet enduring Zama represents the pandemic through her eyes. It is a 12-minute tale of loss and courage, with young Zama, a tender yet resilient reed, in the onset of a storm.
At the Milan Festival held in March 2003, The Sky In Her Eyes was recognised and awarded in the Short Films category. Now Vuleka Productions, the company responsible for the short film, is planning to develop it into a full feature, called My Secret Sky. Julie Frederikse, a co-director of Vuleka and producer of the short film, explains the rationale: "When people saw the short film, they wanted a longer version and this is what we plan to give them. The film is a 'coming-of-age story meets road-movie'."
Frederikse said the movie would show all the beauty of a young child who has grown up too quickly. "This young girl hits the road, together with her little brother. She does so because she needs to support a two-person family, and so it becomes a a journey of self-discovery."
Madoda Ncayiyana, co-director of Vuleka and co-director of The Sky In her Eyes, together with Ouida Smit, said the film does not preach about AIDS to people. "Even with our short film, we never openly said this was a film about AIDS. But, after watching it and taking into consideration the situation in the province, one becomes aware of the theme."
Ncayiyana said the feature would stay away from the manner in w hich "many films are shot in South Africa". He said it would approach AIDS in a different light and look at how people were living their lives in the face of loss. "We are saying, here is this girl who has lost so much, yet she retains her dignity - although she is faced with mounting problems. The film is inspired by countless children who are suffering because AIDS has taken away a member of their family, or made them orphans," he said.
Vuleka's win at the Milan Festival has opened up doors for the production company. The company has already raised E25 000 (R210 250) for development funding and is now concentrating on financing the production costs for their feature-movie venture. Frederikse said that Vuleka had been in touch with their production partners in Europe and with Sithengi marketing with regard to funding. "The biggest factor in our favour is that Ster-Kinekor has shown an interest in distributing the movie when it is finished. The fact that the short movie has also been screened at Cinema Nouveau will help us when we are motivating for funding for the movie," said Frederikse. "It also says they will put bums in seats to watch the movie."
Music has, and will, play an integral part in the feature. The short film's powerful theme song was composed by musician Sazi Dlamini and performed by vocalist Nina Mkhize - both Durban-based musicians. Ncayiyana and Frederikse are the first to give critical acclaim to the duo, whom they say helped make the short film a success. They plan to retain the services of both Mkhize and Dlamini for the feature.
Ncayiyana and Frederikse have already written five drafts of scripts for My Secret Sky, but admit that the project still has some way to go. And if Vuleka has its way, then South African, and indeed international audiences, are being promised a glimpse of what they call "a family story that is like an African ET".
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