The Sunday Mail
EMERGING film makers always find it hard to climb up the ropes and have to work extra hard in order to gain recognition in the industry.
With the local film industry, which has remained lukewarm and is failing to make a huge impact on the international scene, some of the artists have migrated to try their luck in other countries with better opportunities and most of those who have stayed behind are still faced with several hindrances.
Lack of funding is the major issue that has been a drawback in the quality of films being produced locally, but some producers and directors have managed to pull through these obstacles to come up with exceptional products with limited resources at their disposal. Such is the story of Dariro Arts, a Mufakose-based film and drama production group founded by Moderate Kasvosve whose dedication, passion and creativity has already paid dividends. With educational themes that seek to bring social awareness to certain issues, the production group is already making huge strides in that respect. Their film, “Tariro” earned upcoming actress Bianca Magwenzi an award for best actress and it was also nominated for outstanding screen production at the National Arts Merit Awards (Nama) earlier this year.
The Marlon Murape-produced film aims to bring awareness about the issue of HIV and AIDS, shedding light on some of the scenarios that lead to spreading of the disease. It is centred on a 17-year-old school dropout caught between a relationship with a sugar daddy and a university student.
The production group, which seeks to identify, groom and expose upcoming talent, has finished producing another movie “Single Mother”, written and directed by Kasvosve, which is set to be launched soon, with a trailer that has already surpassed the 20 000 view mark on YouTube.
The film, which stars Sharon Kaseke and Michael Munyikwa, is about a mother of two who tragically loses her husband in a car crash and is left to deal with societal conceptions about single mothers. The stereotypes associated with being a single mother are addressed in this movie which seeks to give hope to those who have lost their loved ones. The central character has a second shot at love but is afraid of committing to another man since she already has children.
Relatives of the man who wants to marry her are also sceptical about the arrangement citing it as a bad idea to marry a woman who has children. The challenge of having to raise two children without a husband as well as pressures from society, which views single mothers with judgemental eyes, is highlighted in the movie.
Despite working on a shoestring budget, this production team managed to put together a project that is even better than their award winning effort. In an interview with The Sunday Mail Leisure Kasvosve said that his films were aimed at educating the people about issues that affect society and how they can be handled.
“When I am writing my scripts, I normally focus on true life situations and events happening around us, providing solutions on how to handle some of the challenges,” said Kasvosve.
He said that his films were touching, inspirational and life changing as he was trying to make his contribution towards community development.
“If you look at the movie we did last year, I tried to address the issue of having multiple sexual partners and some of the consequences. In our new film I wanted society to see what single mothers go through on a daily basis and some of the challenges they face.”
Kasvosve said that their main challenge was funding and they were looking for sponsors who were willing to invest in their projects to come on board. “We are having financial problems and I hope sponsors will come through to help us out. Despite lack of funds, we will continue to promoting upcoming talent while educating the community.” Dariro Arts is already working on two other projects about gender based violence.
