Patricia Maganu
21 April 2008
Francistown — A Motswana teacher has released a comedy. He is Pelontle Mpatane who wrote, directed and even starred in the comedy titled Halala Bafana.
Mapatane, who says he has been interested in acting, film and theatre for a long time, says he started this project last November even though the script had always been there.
"I wrote this script some years back and shelved it like most of my scripts. But last November I just decided to do something with it and I started auditioning people for various parts."
Mpatane says he used his free time in December last year to work on the comedy. "The whole project, including the editing, was done by February," he said. He said that he could have compromised the quality of the video by doing all the work himself.
Mpatane, a teacher at Setlalekgosi Community Junior Secondary School, said that in the past there were no such opportunities. "I am an artist and I remember vividly - we never had such avenues. So to have an opportunity to take part in projects like these is something that one cannot take for granted."
In Halala Bafana many jokes that have always said among Batswana are turned into action and laughter is guaranteed. Mapatane says that he decided to write a comedy because Batswana are stressed most of the time.
"When people leave work they are tired and stressed and this is something that is designed to massage the brain and help people loosen up," he adds. Mapatane says that there are so many bad things happening in the world and people sometimes need to unwind.
"This is not a straight story with a plot and a setting. There are just many bits and pieces of jokes with punch lines. We act the funny out," he said. Halala Bafana consists of four main characters and about 16 extras. He said he employed mostly out of school youth but others are people who are in full time employment.
In one of the clips a man is stopped by a police officer for urinating in the street and he is charged P50. He takes out a P100 note to pay and the officer does not have change so he says that the man should urinate again to balance it out. The clips were shot in Mathangwane, Tonota, and Francistown. Mpatane says that he has always had an interest in theatre.
"I took a year-long course in South Africa at Mmabana Foundation where they did voice-training, acting and theory," said Mpatane.
Mpatane explains that it is quite an adventure to work on a movie but doing it here, in Botswana also poses a lot of challenges.
"Hiring property and props is not easy or cheap. Working with people is hard but you get to a point where you have to learn their personalities and work with that," he said.
Mpatane also said that characterisation is still a problem in Botswana. "There is a serious need for expertise. Trying to distort a character to act two different parts is not easy and that is why we need people of different ages to act but they are not coming along," he said. He says that his aim is to try and divert people's attention away from Nigerian movies.
"This is a comedy that is shot here in Botswana and people can easily relate," he said. Mpatane admits that people in Botswana shoot movies and then they neglect them.
"The movies are not properly marketed. The whole thing becomes dormant. If the movies here were properly marketed we would have a lot of successful movies and not have to depend on South African series for relaxation," he added. Mpatane said that as producers, writers and directors in Botswana they need to take responsibility for their work and make it available to people.
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