Zimbabwe: Acclaimed author calls young writers to seize opportunities
By Alfred Tembo – GWERU based seasoned author, Ignatius Musonza, has called on young writers to seize opportunities created by filmmakers to enhance their creative writing opportunities by finding where they can fit in the chain of film productions.
Ignatius Musonza
In an interview, the international children’s literature author said the Midlands province was set to witness a radical transitional development in the arts industry if artists take time to devise strategies on enterprising.
“Filming will soon inflict and awaken most writers in identifying more writing opportunities that will see the emergence of new writers and new ideas, acting talents among other artistic skills. If this whole opportunity is properly embraced we will see a pool of talents from other places flooding Midlands,” said Musonza.
High rigour of unemployment in the country which has also turned into inspiration and opportunity for filmmakers can also contribute to creative writing.
“In any case, all films need people who write scripts. There will never be good film that can be produced without a script, hence writers are already at work,” said Musonza.
Musonza added: “Young writers lose the plot to make or create their own employment by lacking innovation and a critical and analytic mind.”
Midlands, one such province whose pride has been washed down the drain, will through film industry turn a new leaf in an elegant bid to compliment government efforts on economical recovery operations.
Kudzai Madora, a new generation film maker, who graduated from Midlands State University with a degree in Business Management found a vocation in film making following endless tried effort s of getting a job that is in line with his area of studies.
Kudzai Madora
“High levels of unemployment in the country have given me the directions from where l came from. Personally l am such a person who could not cope with moving from one office to another with files and folders heaped up, loaded with applications and curriculum vitas in search of employment, ”said Madora.
Madora said: “It pities me seeing such people, spending better part of their time searching for employment which they are not assured of. Innovation has made me realize my dream.”
The 30-year-old filmmaker is also the founding director of KoolNet Studio, a multimedia company that specializes in film and music production.
Unlike in Bulawayo and Harare where theater is treated commercial, a commodity with ready market, Gweru has all its potential entertainment catchments shuttered by those in authority. Currently Gweru City Council turned Gweru Theater into a complete cash cow, by hiring out the venue to churches and non-governmental organizations that afford the charges.
Cont Mhlanga recently said:”We once made an attempt to recover the theater for us to restore it for its rightful purpose so that it may be used for its intended purposes. Unfortunately in the process communication with national Arts Council Gweru office died naturally.”
The quality productions of films which are currently being produced are undisputedly witness to reference to Midlands’ capital as a dynamic power house with talent which was lately not in made use of.
