With the country grappling with issues of authenticating memory through cinema, there is a contingent of filmmakers who are tackling this and other impediments to their narrative accessibility when it comes to reception of content by African audiences. These filmmakers are deciphering a code that bursts the bubble of ‘quality versus quantity’ debates, and are pioneering a multi-genre cinema-scape that is both inclusive and yet purposed towards individualist expression. A form of auteurism per se.
South
Africa’s popular Black culture's exploitation and misappropriation has finally
being challenged by a zealous push closer to equality, and thus the roles and
representations of Africans in cinema and television practices are positively
improving. Simultaneously, a necessary breakage from white
supremacists broadcast monopolies in film production has seen a number of young
South Africans filmmakers re-acquire the “consciousness of precedent” of the
intellectual and cultural heritage of a New African Cinema Movement.
Because
film history is inseparable from cultural, Lewis Nkosi, a member of the Sophiatown
Renaissance of the 1950s and simultaneously belonging to the last intellectual
generation of the New African Movement, a decade ago wrote: “In any case, a
serious examination of South African culture must at some time come to terms
with a fact that may be uncongenial to both black and white progressives, given
our prior commitment to a non-racial democratic future, and that fact is the
near total hegemony, within the various cultural practices of South African
society, of an unrepresentative white minority, consisting not only of diehard
upholders of the apartheid system but also of white liberals and progressives
as well, in their roles as academics, as critics, as anthologists, as
impresarios, as gallery owners and publishers and as consultants of those who
own virtually all the means of cultural production”.
(“Introduction”
to Blame Me on History by Bloke Modisane, Penguin Books, London , 1990
which also appeared as “Bloke Modisane:
Blame Me on History” in Southern African Review of Books, Double Issue 13 &
14, 1990.)
The New
Cinema covers a wholly expansive historical space within the various cultural
practices of South African society, unrepresentative of
minority yet impregnating the creation of a national cinema in South Africa,
making film practice both an intellectual endeavour and an unambiguous
reclamation of the social standing of individual perspective.
And given
that the deep historical affinities between Africans in South Africa and
African Americans are still seemingly unavoidable, it is refreshing to witness
forms of film practice that are neither exemplary nor aspirant of the latter.
One film
which has recently entered the market through Mzansi Magic’s Bubble Gum Film Factory is His Majesty’s Building. And its Film Noir narrative style, which sets it apart from previous
bubble-gum films scripturally and cinematographically - has led my curiosity towards
an investigation of new methods of assimilating global cinematographic
techniques for the African setting. Imagining and imaging Africa today as
anything but a conflicted geographical space, ravaged by war and poverty is a
task that requires a vast array of decolonizing experiments. And often than
never, contemporary directors, many of whom have not experienced traumatic colonial
experiences; do not feel compelled to be politically committed.
Within
this context, popular media (film in this instance) can play a particularly
pivotal role in creating these relations of disjuncture by traveling across
cultural boundaries and spreading “images of well-being that cannot be
satisfied by national standards of living and consumer capabilities”, to quote
Sheila Petty when writing about Self-Imaging in screen media.
The
divide between auteur and populist traditions of filmmaking that seem to divide
neatly along racial lines in this country, has inadvertently rekindled the
debate about what Ntongela Masilela
termed ‘A National Cinema’, and moves by a contemporary filmmaker such as Nhlanhla Masondo are challenging the
status quo. Not only
is he exploring completely new genres, languages, forms, and systems of funding
through his films, but he also fuses traditional conceptualizations of race,
the continent, and political contestations into his narratives, which sadly
appear at times to be almost completely lacking in other local films.
When
filmmakers whose insistence on quality filmmaking confronts the emergent
example of Nollywood and related modes of film production that hew to
Hollywood’s powerful business-oriented model with its global pre-eminence
head-on, they tend to face serious financial difficulties making their films.
And this was the case with His Majesty’s
Building, which is among the most promising black films to surface of late,
creating imaginative screen experiences steeped in local realities and cultures
yet not confined by them.
In an
attempt to cultivate a culture of perceiving film as “a director’s” artwork and
negating the perpetual star-system stranglehold that suffocates the craft
through brand oriented cinema, I recently questioned Nhlanhla Masondo about some issues pertinent to his continued
struggles as an emerging South African filmmaker. This extensive questionnaire
also inquired about his approaches to film practice as transparent in this
film, the scope of his metamorphosis as an evolving creative mind, as well as
his goals and aspirations which he eloquently outlined through the expressed
sentiments in his responses.
Nhlanhla Masondo, where were you born, raised
and spent the years of your maturing into a filmmaker?
A • I was born in Baragwanath hospital, in Diepkloof, Soweto; and was
raised down the hill from there, in Orlando East. I also spent some years in
Dube, and currently live in Dobsonville.
I cannot say
I have “matured” into a filmmaker just yet. I hope to do so, in time.
Who are your inspirations in film arts and
why?
A • My inspiration is in constant flux, I go through phases; during which
I’ll watch a certain filmmaker, or more than one, for an extended period.
During this time I try and cover a director’s entire work, constantly going
back-and-forth and watching the same films over and over. Right now I’m going
through a Fellini phase. Next will be either Krzysztof Kieslowski or Ingmar
Bergman.
The “why” is
really impossible to answer – do we know why we are attracted to beauty, other
than because it is beautiful... for it’s own sake?
I believe you are an MC? Please elaborate on
the origins of the passion for music and how it has inspired your style of filmmaking,
if it has at all?
A • Music is my first love. From a young age, if I really liked a song, I
could commit it to memory fairly quickly, within a couple of hours. I think
this just stayed with me until I eventually started writing raps.
I don’t think
it has any impact on my filmmaking though; my sensibilities seem worlds apart
when I’m engaged in both acts. For instance, I made an experimental short film
some years ago, the subject of which was music – but I used my friends and
couldn’t be a part of the film myself.
How was the story of His Majesty’s Building born?
A • His Majesty’s Building came
about by happenstance; Mtutuzeli Matshoba, a great writer and amazing ‘script
editor,’ was running a workshop and invited me to attend. The task for all the
writers was to come up with a story, of whatever length, and that’s when I hit
upon His Majesty’s Building.
Can you also explain how the script was
developed and what methodologies you employed to get the story to be what you
envisaged?
A • The story changed significantly from what began as, a conundrum a
friend had emailed me; which got my imagination going but was much too
convoluted to make good film, or at least I thought so. There were far too many
coincidences in the story, and one feels like they are cheating the audience
when dilemmas seem to wrap themselves up too neatly.
The stories
were meant to be work-shopped and developed in a group, but that didn’t happen,
and we all ended up writing individually, with Bra Mtu sending us notes after
an outline or a draft. I wrote the first draft and shelved the story after the
workshop was over. A couple of months later, I was watching Polanski’s
‘Chinatown’ when the idea of a film noir hit me up.
His Majesty’s Building had all the elements of a noir and I decided I
would give it a shot. Around the same time Bra Mtu was working with Mzansi
Magic, and suggested I pitch the story to them.
Can you take us through some pleasurable
moments during the production of this film?
A • The moments that will remain the most exciting were during
pre-production, while putting together the team and seeding the vision. All we
had was the screenplay, and the task was to paint this picture to everybody. As
soon as the phrase “film noir” came up, the question that would follow was
always ‘is this a period piece?’ While we couldn’t exactly say ‘yes,’ the idea
of a noir was crucial in establishing people’s enthusiasm.
During the
entire pre-production phase, we had this looming cloud of uncertainty, whether
we’ll achieve the vision or make a spectacular mess of the whole thing?! It
didn’t help that we only saw the actors in costume the day before filming
started, when they came in for fittings.
The principal performances must have been a
challenge to direct. What would you say were the challenges of directing
performance while simultaneously overlooking the technical eloquence of the
visualization?
A • We were fortunate to have actors who loved the script, and took to
their roles with great enthusiasm. I had convinced myself that it was going to
be a gargantuan task, only to find people giving themselves wholeheartedly to
the project. It was the most affirming gesture, which made directing seem less
daunting that it really is.
Our
department heads were also magnificent, they understood the vision clearly and
delivered the best, more than I expected given our limited resources and time.
Sifiso Khanyile, the producer, steered a battered ship through a hurricane, and
we made it out alive.
What equipment did you use? And what
motivated the choice of these technologies for production value and scale?
A • We shot the film with a DSLR camera, the Canon 5D, using one lens. We didn’t
intentionally use one lens, we simply couldn’t afford a lens kit, and of the
two we had, one did the job just fine so we stuck with it. We had a basic
lighting kit, and a homemade dolly. The budget, or the lack thereof, pushed us
to those extremes.
While having
discussions with suppliers, we were throwing out these elaborate gear lists, of
everything we needed to achieve this grand vision. Then really kicked in and we
realized that we can’t afford three-quarters of what we needed, so we ended up
working with the bare minimum.
What do you expect to see the film inspiring
in the next generation of filmmaking in the country?
A • I consider myself part of that “next generation of filmmaking in the
country,” and what I gathered in making His
Majesty’s Building is a more realistic outlook of what it really means to
make a film. From the empty page, to seeing the pictures rolling on the screen
– I see myself beginning to abandon many notions of how a film ought to be
made, of what one really needs. The task now is to figure out my own way, one
that is specific to my ideas and circumstances, all of this while achieving
excellence.
What funding strategies did you and your team
employ to see the film through from script to screen?
A • We really had little choice when it came to funding the film, it was
made for MNet’s Mzansi Magic channel, which stipulated quite clearly that we
couldn’t have anyone co-funding the film.
We had to
insist on them allowing us to approach the Gauteng Film Commission, which is a
public body. That being the case, everybody had to dig deep; most of the crew
members were using their own money to get the film going and keep it afloat,
while the actors performed for a pittance – their talent far outweighed what
they took home. And this applies to those who took anything at home at all,
half worked for free.
Any innovative distribution strategies in place for the film, once it
has done its broadcast run?
A • The film’s broadcast will be running concurrently with what
distribution we have been granted, and with the restrictions that exist around
the whole deal –from the format to the duration which we have to exploit the
film– I’m looking forward to what will also prove a very challenging phase.
Much like the making of the film, we’ll have to think on our feet for the
distribution run too.
A local filmmaker, during the recent DIFF,
lamented the lack of directorial expertise in South African films, which see
even the technically astute works being trivialized by directors without
vision. Would you perhaps share your sentiments towards this observation?
A • Not having heard the statement, I can offer only a cursory response to
what seems an observation laden with contradiction. Can a work of art
(presumably) be trivial and astute,
even if “technically” – especially since film is an entirely technical medium?
On the other
hand, perhaps it is precisely the “vision” of those directors, to make trivial
work? In which case they would be excelling.
Could you please elaborate on technical choice of lighting, art, sound
designs of the film and how the intended outcomes were achieved?
A • I felt that the story lends itself to noir, and our goal was to evoke
the whodunit, while drawing from 20s German expressionism as well. The vision
was to create a Johannesburg of the imagination, set in no particular time – a
menacing city with ominous, chiaroscuro lighting and characters that live and
thrive in the shadows.
His Majesty’s Building is a salutation to those styles, and the
combination of talent we put together was very much up to the task. Junia
Tsekiso and Zandile Tisani’s wardrobe and styling perfectly created and
captured a cinematic world specific to itself. I love that the actors couldn’t
have left their house and walked onto the screen as they were, the characters
belong within the world of the frame.
The visual treatment of the narrative style
described above, how does it convey the vision shared by both yourself and DOP?
A • In our initial discussions with Bonga Nkomo, the DOP, about colour and
tone, we asked ourselves one question: what colour is Johannesburg? I don’t
think I recall any film made in Johannesburg that evokes a specific, memorable
tone about the city. Essentially, this is a film about a city, about a building
in city, which speaks to the city. In our case, it was the city that had the
final say – we wanted to portray Johannesburg in shades of grey, but the city
said ‘no,’ emphatically. It isn’t called the ‘city of gold’ for nothing. The
narrative style goes against the fastness of Johannesburg; I wanted a languid
picture that begins in stasis, with the action reluctantly building into
crescendo. I hope we were successful in achieving this.
What future do you see for black South
African filmmaking in the face of budget cuts from broadcasters and government
agencies?
A • How many film industries do we have? Does ‘white South African
filmmaking’ have a different future? The answer to all of these questions is
invariably tied to our politics, however we answer the political questions;
that is also the future for filmmaking, black or otherwise.
What has become of concern to you regarding
the African Cinema’s place within the global market in the context of
globalizing African Cultural products?
A • I’m not sure I understand this question. “African cultural products”
have always been global; the world is a product of “African culture.”
And if there can be disadvantages to
globalizing African Cinema can transformed for the benefit of our New African
Cinema, what methods do you envisaging taking us to the global stage?
A • We are already on the “global stage,” Africa is on the globe, is it
not? I’m not sure where else there is to go? Perhaps what people want is
hegemony? Hegemony is achieved at a heavy cost. Will we pay?
Has your technical expertise evolved for the
better since your last film and how?
A • The film I made before this was short, experimental, and a documentary.
That is altogether another animal, in a different habitat. And although
stylistically different, cinema is cinema, and I have a better grasp of the
medium, and of myself. Being better informed of how the two behave,
independently and together, I’m better prepared for my next film.
What informed your choices of performers and
crew for your film, and what negotiations and pre-production
preparation/engagements were explored?
A • We didn’t do a casting call or auditions for the performers, I had a
pretty clear idea of whom I wanted to work with, based on how they look. We
were genre specific, so it was only natural that we cast by type – as soon as
you see the actor on screen, you should understand half their character. I drew
up a wish list and sat down with Khanyile to whittle it down. We contacted the
actors directly, and when we couldn’t, we moved down the list until we found
someone suitable.
There wasn’t
much room for negotiation either; we simply made the only offer we could, and
the actors accepted or rejected it. Fortunately, the screenplay was good, and
most jumped on based on the potential of the story.
In a nutshell, what is the film (His Majesty’s Building) to you as filmmaker?
A • His Majesty’s Building is the
best possible start I could have asked for in a debut film, we worked with an
enthusiastic, professional and fun cast & crew. Everybody made the film a
less strenuous affair, and I think we captured that positive energy on screen.
Working with a story we knew from the onset to be near impossible to achieve,
given that we had very little time, and even less budget, I can confidently say
we are going to keep making better and better films.
An insightful interview indeed this was in
that it put certain issues pertaining to making films for commission into
perspective. I am alas saddened by the realization that through convoluted
budgetary strategies and miniscule funding allocated Black Filmmakers in this
country, the industry’s funding agencies and broadcasters with water-tight
contractual obligations are inadvertently plotting and setting our filmmakers
up for demoralizing debut productions and career-suicide.
This might not be the case for many
filmmakers whose products grace the channels, but at an expense of sounding
curt in my frankness, the lack of qualitative vision that characterizes
bubble-gum films produced to date, coupled with cinematographic inaptitude
exhibited through visual interpretations of these undeveloped scripts leave not
much to be desired. Most producers of such films will employ that ultimate
scapegoat of ‘lack of funding’ in clear cases of evidently bad technical
production choices. I am thus left to wonder if perhaps the problem doesn’t squarely
lie with funders, but also with our talent and creative improvisation failing
our storytellers when faced with infrastructural constraints.
I am however anxiously looking forward to viewing
His Majesty’s Building, to witness a
shift from the negatives outlined above towards a more dignified creative
practice that yields products which kindles pride in their creators while
allowing for filmmakers to mature with their craft.
(Images provided by Nhlanhla Masondo
and the film trailer is available on www.mindyourhead.co.za)
and the film trailer is available on www.mindyourhead.co.za)
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