ON ZIMBABWEAN FILM

The producer and scriptwriter reflects on Flame and Neria, films that capture Zimbabwean women’s resilience and struggle.

Flame is a movie that follows two girls, Nyasha and Florence, during the Zimbabwean liberation struggle. It is important because it highlights the usually overlooked role women played during the war. As a storyteller, I’m moved by the complexity of Florence’s character. She truly represents the tension many women, including myself, feel — the pull between wanting a quiet family life (of baking sourdough bread and homeschooling) and having a larger vision that cannot be ignored. Florence’s war name in the movie is Flame (the title) and represents the unquenchable flame that has existed in African women for generations, which allows us to make painful sacrifices for the good of our families and communities.

My writing is very much inspired by the stories of ordinary people overcoming extraordinary challenges. Flame became such a big sensation in Zimbabwe and reminds me of the power of filmmaking to bring to light the human experience - hope, love, fear, death, and disillusionment. The film was produced in 1996 when everyone was still giddy from independence but it perfectly foreshadowed what was coming to both the freedom fighters and the general public - broken promises and unfulfilled dreams.

This sense of disillusionment has become a recurring theme in my own work, as I seek to give a voice to the voiceless…

Neria (1993) is the highest-growing Zimbabwean film in history. It follows the cultural and economic struggles of Neria, after the death of her husband. Neria is a significant film to me because it reflects the harsh reality for many women in African societies due to the culture surrounding marriage and in-law relationships. However, the movie ends with Neria ultimately being victorious through sheer determination and resilience.  In Neria, I see a woman who successfully challenges the oppressive patriarchal system, which is something I am always seeking to do in my day-to-day life and work.

One of the reasons the movie is so significant to me is because the soundtrack was performed by the late Oliver Mtukudzi who had an amazing ability to use music to tell stories and impressed upon me the importance of a good soundtrack in bringing out the emotion of a film. The song "Neria" also became a national and international sensation.  

Both Flame and Neria follow resilient women and have helped me understand my role as a female storyteller from Zimbabwe. They have taught me that filmmaking can be both entertaining and impactful, bringing out my people’s struggles and triumphs.▮