Mike Segawa
6 September 2008
With no professional film school in the country worth its name, but with a young and ambitious film industry, the future of the movie business could be destined for mixed fortunes.
This is because there are many people who smell opportunity and want to try something out but lack training in the basics of movie making.
"We have so many people coming to us with some recordings they call movies," says Hussain Kagolo, the president of Uganda Federation of Movie Industry (UFMI). "It's painful because many of them lose money since no one would buy their films but as you know, shooting a movie is a very costly venture."
Kagolo is however quick to add, "Because we don't have a regulatory body in Uganda yet, when these poor films are put on the market, they end up discouraging the market as film fans out there start dismissing the rest of Ugandan films as rubbish."
It is upon that background that the federation devised a training programme at their provisional film institute.
This programme passed out some 82 students last Saturday and they could not have had a better guest speaker than Merlik Kayondo from the Ministry of Culture.
"If Ugandan filmmakers want to reap big monies from their movies as is the case in Hollywood and elsewhere, movie business is flourishing," Kayondo told the enthusiastic group donned in attire made out of barkcloth. "Observe quality, be creative and original in all your works."
He warned them that the local industry won't make any headway if they don't adhere to standards and high quality work.
The passing out of students took place at National Theatre last Saturday and coincided with the launching of the movie, Nantaburirirwa, whose input is wholly from the students of the institute.
"If you want our industry to grow, borrow a leaf from what makes Hollywood the most influential single film industry in the world," Kayondo said, adding that, "What makes a good film is a combination of very many talents, which also translates into jobs for people who are specialists in those areas."
The students who received their certificates from the institute were trained in script writing, camera work, directing, acting, among other techniques of acting and producing films. Many of the students were however receiving their first education certificates.
And for their six-month lessons, their first work, Nantabulirirwa, almost passes the mark. It is written by Faridah Walden Mbabazi who also plays Tendo in the movie. Tendo comes across as a stubborn girl whose mother warns her against going to the forest but she will not listen. When she escapes from home to join a group of students, she trespasses the cannibals' territory, deep in the forest.
The consequences are fatal as some members of the group die in the forest, while a few of them survive the ordeal. It is a good first attempt for non-professionals and a truly well acted rural Ugandan story with good music fillers and stable camera work.
Some of the film school graduates in their bark cloth attire outside the National Theatre. PHOTO BY MIKE SEGAWA
However, many scenes, like the scenes of cannibals on a vigil, drag on and this makes the act student-like indeed, if not characteristically 'Ugandan'; in case you don't watch Nigerian films. Coupled with flaws in direction, costumes, and exaggeration, the productions remains largely amateurish. Now in Uganda, at least a new movie is made every month but it does not mean it will be liked.
Some films have become favourites like Ensisinkano y'ebizibu (2006), Abakayala bagala ki? (2005), Murder in the City (2006), among others, while many have been kicked out of the film shops.
In short, the reason some films get a thumbs up while others get a thumbs down, is the art of cinematography, as expressed by the film crew, mainly the director, the script writer and the cast.
Hopefully, the makeshift film courses can become the norm, thereby breeding a new life for the fast growing film industry which would become an agent of selling Ugandan culture and tourism, on top of providing numerous jobs to many a Ugandan.
"For us we take anyone who is willing to join the group and of course who is talented, Kagolo said. "There are very many people we have discovered who did not go to school but they have talent and that's why we are not limiting anyone in our school."
He said they would connect their students to different film making companies and groups such that they can expose their talent as well as earn a living.
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