AN HOUR-LONG television drama, Sakhile, written and produced by Zimbabwean journalist and writer, Chris Gande, has premiered at the New York International Independent Film Festival which opened Thursday.
The festival showcases short films and documentaries from around the world and Gande’s production is the only one from the African continent.
Gande, a reporter with the Voice of America’s Studio 7, is studying for a Bachelor’s degree in Film Making at the Art Institute of Washington in Virginia, the United States.
The drama, shot entirely in Zimbabwe, was directed by William Nyandoro, the director of the popular ZTV drama, Amakorokoza.
Gande said: “It is such a great honour to raise the flag for the continent coming shortly after South Africa - or is it Ghana? - raised the African flag at the FIFA World Cup.”
The Ndebele drama, which has English sub-titles, was screened early this year on South Africa’s DSTV. The DVD is now available in Zimbabwe.
The drama is about a young rural girl, Sakhile, played by Gugulethu Ndlovu, who goes to the city to look for a job after doing well at high school. She has had one boyfriend in her life and when she learns about the AIDS pandemic, she decides that whoever she falls in love with must first take an HIV test.
She falls in love with her brother’s friend Muzi, played by Babuse Ngulube, and he reluctantly takes the test with her. It turns out she is positive and he is negative. She can hardly believe it and this sends her into emotional turmoil. She decides to get away from home, away from herself and enter a different new world.
But this new world is indeed different as she cannot fathom it, so she returns back home where lady luck awaits her.
She finds that job that she was looking for. And Vusa, her boyfriend, despite knowing her HIV status, has been waiting for her and vows that he will love her in sickness or in health.
On its website the NYIIFVF says it represents a new wave of independent filmmakers and offers a unique opportunity for members of the film industry as well as delegates and attendees “without the pretentiousness”.
According to Micro Cinema Magazine's editor, Dave Sardella, "for any aspiring musicians, producers or directors the NYIIFVF is the place to have your projects seen and reviewed by the best of the best. This world renowned festival can be the launching pad to a successful career."
Gande, who started his journalism career in 1990 as a correspondent for The Chronicle and The Sunday News has written for several news organisations including Reuters, The Sunday Times of South Africa and The Daily News, among others.
He is the writer of a paperback novel Section Eight based on the land redistribution exercise in Zimbabwe.
Gande said: “Sakhile was an experiment that I made about three years ago before I had even gone to film school. I wrote the script and sent a couple of dollars to William (Nyandoro) and the rest is history.”
Meanwhile Gande has also produced a documentary on Studio Seven called Pirates Of The Airwaves.