Local film screens in Soweto
"In one of the scenes, we highlight Gender Based Violence and mental health is also one of the elements we tried to tackle to bring awareness."
The first screening of Money Box, a short film locally shot by Xtreme Heart Multimedia Production company went off with astounding success.
The screening which was in collaboration with the Soweto Book Cafe was part of the second annual film and documentary festival.
It’s an educational movie exploring themes of friendship, money and betrayal. It follows the tale of three friends who lose their jobs during the pandemic and how dynamics around money strain their relationship.
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“We hardly find screenings in townships and that’s what we are trying to change through promoting local films, by our own creatives, film makers and artists,” said Xolani Ntuli, founder of Xtreme Heart Multimedia Production.
Ntuli, a multidisciplinary artist and creative, with a background in script writing and directing who shares a passion for storytelling said he wanted to also showcase various townships of Soweto, which have momentum and historic significance.
“We tried showcasing a true authentic experience for our audience. These are social issues that affect us everywhere especially to show that violence is never the solution.
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“We have become such an angry and violent society and through the film, we hope to redress that.
“In one of the scenes, we highlight Gender Based Violence and mental health is also one of the elements we tried to tackle to bring awareness,” Ntuli continued.
Audiences can expect a roller coaster of emotions, tragedy, drama and comedy. Ntuli said he hoped to have the film picked up by Soweto theatres and other creative spaces.
Thami Mazibuko is the brains behind the Soweto Book Café, the only black owned bookstore in Soweto.
It is also is home to the Soweto Ekasi Film and Documentary Festival launched in October 2022 after he was sponsored to do a pilot on screenings in townships.
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The festival saw a low turnout of submissions which forced the event to be turned into a one day event. Mazibuko said despite this, it was paramount that people tell their own their stories.
“It was important that we continue so it doesn’t just end as a once off thing because we understand the significance of telling our own stories and that we own our narratives in our voices.
“It’s important in preserving the history and making sure that we tell them how we want to be portrayed without that notion being distorted or misinterpreted. We want to watch our stories and support our creatives.”
