The Sunday Mail
Veronica Gwaze
FOR two years at the University of Cape Town (UCT)’s Centre for Film and Media Studies, she was the only black student director in her intake, which had 50 other students.
However, her ideas were often shot down, and she seriously considered quitting at some point.
But, five years later, Ntombi Masuku (pictured) is set to rock the International Images Film Festival for Women (IIFF), a feat she never thought possible, even in her wildest dreams. IIFF is an annual event for women that was established in 2002 as a platform to showcase films that portray women performing major roles.
“The ratio in my class gave me a picture of what it is like in the industry. It was hard for me to be noticed at first and I thought of giving up,” recalls Masuku.
It took her family’s intervention for her to stay in film school.
In fact, had it not been for them, Masuku, an Arundel High School alumnus, would have jumped ship to pursue Law or Psychology.
Being a shy character, who found it hard to make friends or mingle with others, she spent most of her time writing plays and poems.
She would also watch movies and analyse them, although she never imagined taking up filmmaking as a career.
“I wrote many plays, but kept them at home. As a shy person, I would simply pour out my feelings on paper,” she said.
“One day, I was forced to take up a role in a school drama, and to my surprise, the stage felt comfortable. I realised that it was the only place I felt myself.”
However, just as she was considering enrolling at university for either Law or Psychology, her family advised her to take up film, instead. In 2017, she enrolled at the UCT, where she studied towards a degree in filmmaking.
At the institution, she learnt the art of script writing, filmmaking, producing and directing, among other roles.
“We learnt how to make films with our own budgets and raising funds to make our own productions. The institution had advanced equipment, so it gave us the feel of what the real industry was like.
“I also got to learn how to be in a crew, managing my team, running a cast, directing and doing auditions, among other things,” she said.
After graduation, as Masuku was trying to penetrate the South African film industry, Covid-19 brought the world to a standstill.
She had no option, but to move back home.
During the coronavirus-induced lockdown, she worked on various projects, which included short film production and advertisements, with a local company.
She also featured in some commercials that were aired on the national broadcaster.
However, it was not easy for her to adjust to working in the Zimbabwean film industry.
“I now had to learn to improvise, make connections, talk to people, beg others to take up roles without guaranteed payment,” she said.
But she later found her feet and started working on individual projects.
Within a short period, some of her projects were nominated for showcasing at various film festivals at home and abroad.
Her latest project, the movie “In the Morning”, will be showcased at the IIFF in a few days.
Previously, “In the Morning” emerged one of the semi-finalists in a film festival in Iran.
The film focuses on gender-based violence (GBV). It depicts a girl growing up in an upper-class household, where her mother is a victim of abuse. Masuku said the film is getting positive feedback from renowned directors, who are applauding her for unpacking GBV from a rare angle.
“The aim is to understand GBV from the standpoint of a girl who has to watch her mother being abused and how she has to survive the trauma,” said Masuku.
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