…opens dream film school in Mutoko, Zimbabwe
Silence Charumbira
Actor, poet and filmmaker, Tendai Maduwa’s difficult upbringing in the dusty backroads of Mutoko, Zimbabwe, left him with many physical and emotional scars but he is grateful that even then, he still had the courage to dream.
Now living his dream, albeit not in the original form and shape, in Hollywood, the globe’s film and showbiz capital, Maduwa has not forgotten his roots and has just opened a film school at Chapeyama Village, in the Makosa area of Mutoko.
Dream start with 15
Starting off with 15 students this Friday, the learners have all been supported by Culture Fund with full scholarships for their one-year certificate studies.
“While the dream is free the journey isn’t” is a saying that is attributed to John Maxwell. Simple and possibly harmless, it seems but this is the tragedy that the young people of Africa are starring in the eye.
And Maduwa has set on a path to change that for the rural folks some who may have never lived in a household with a TV their entire lives.
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The first phase of the construction of the school is nearing completion, ahead of its opening in 2025, Maduwa told Africa News 24 this week from his North Hollywood base. The first phase comprises one classroom block and an administration block.
“Roots Academy is not just a film school. The academy will also have high school, enrolling Form 1s for boarding school starting in 2025 until it gets to Form 6,” said Maduwa.
“The film school programme is a one-year certificate course where students will learn a whole module on film business practically than theoretically. Students get to learn as they make films from idea conceptualisation to distribution of the final products.
“The students are starting classes. We are grateful to Culture Fund for paying fees for the first 15 students starting their studies this Friday. We intentionally chose that number because we want to make sure that we invest thoroughly in them. Each one of them should be a complete film practitioner with success stories when they finish their programme.”
Is Maduwa selling a pipe dream to Mabuja?
But folks in Mutoko, a region known for its vibrant market gardening, have never asked for much from anyone. They have only required markets for their produce. Even when presidential aspirant Nelson Chamisa promised them spaghetti roads and an airport a few years ago, they remained focused on their trade.
Is Maduwa pulling a Chamisa on his kinsmen?
No.
Though ambitious, his is a more practical approach informed by real and personal experiences and not imaginary fallacies and fantasies alike. Maduwa is alive to the fact that while some may say dreams are free, that is not a reality young people in the rural areas enjoy.
The manifestation of a childhood dream
“I was born and bred in the same village where I am building the school. My dreams to get where I am in my career took longer because opportunities have always been more available for urban folks than villagers like me. I have watched talented actors killing their dreams because there were no opportunities available for them. And now I am giving people from my rural home an opportunity to dream. I personally will be helping them one after another until they get their acting dreams where they should be. The other important factor is simply teaching everyone about ownership.”
And the whole idea is not only about filmmakers. All the activities should afford locals more opportunities with six villagers currently employed full-time.
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“We have employed six full-time staffers including a security officer who has been working since June last year. We have employed up to 10 subcontracted workers from the very same community.
“We will also have established local, regional and international filmmakers coming to be special lecturers and give Mutoko credibility. A whole 99 percent of lecturers and trainers will be local practitioners while the other 1% would be distinguished regional and international filmmakers. I want Mutoko to start making a name for itself as a producer of filmmakers from Roots Academy.
“Even now, I want many people from all over the world to learn about this project thereby taking the name of Mutoko far. People often forget that there is life outside the big cities but I want this school to change that.”
While Maduwa was initially known more as a poet when he was still based in Zimbabwe, he has always been a man of many talents. While his acting and filmmaking exploits were still unknown to many on the small screen, he made a name for himself on the poetry stage in regional festivals in Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia among others.
“Of course, many knew me as a poet but I have always been doing all my art practices at the same time. I had productions running on ZBC TV back in the day and was also publishing books concurrently,” said Maduwa.
