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Film vital in promoting peace: Prof Moyo

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By Netho Francisco

THE Local film industry is vital in promoting peace and reconciliation in the country as it attracts the attention of many people in the dissemination of messages that reunite them by shaping their behaviour and attitude towards each other, a Cabinet minister has said.
As part of its peace building initiative, the Organ for National Healing, Reconciliation and Integration (ONHRI) partnered local film maker Tagline Film Productions to produce a film on healing and reconciliation entitled Two Villages Apart.
The film encourages Zimbabweans to embrace forgiveness and reconciliation as a rehabilitation route towards national healing.
Speaking at the launch of the film and a peace album, Media, Information and Broadcasting Services Minister, Professor Jonathan Moyo said films help to unify people towards a common goal in nation building.
“Some of us in communication try very hard to talk about peace, its important in nation building, in bringing us together, but I don’t think there are better people to share this powerful message of peace than artistes,” said Professor Moyo.
“I can’t imagine there is a better way of communicating to us and speaking to our hearts and minds better than films or movies.”
Professor Moyo said filming was among other models of communication that has wider audiences as compared to other forms of reaching out to the people.
He hailed the role played by local musicians in producing sound tracks for films as a way of adding value to movies by helping to deduce meaning of the story line.
“It is very true that the most powerful means of communication, the most powerful way of reaching the greatest number of people is through music, is through film, is through the art,” Professor Moyo said.
“I also don’t think that there is a better way of sending a powerful message and speaking to our hearts better than through song.
“Let the film speak to us, let the music speak to us, let our artistes speak to us, the greatest communicators in our country.”
Speaking at the same occasion the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs in Harare Metropolitan Province, Miriam Chikukwa said the country should continue to embrace the sense of reconciliation and bury their differences for a peaceful nation.
“The story (film) offers a platform for our society to engage in dialogue to deal with the past and allows every Zimbabwean to look forward to life with hope and confidence,” she said.
“The ONHRI would like to encourage all stakeholders to facilitate further dissemination of the message of peace and unity through the peace film and album so that Zimbabweans at large can benefit from the lessons drawn from these two communication media.
Two Villages Apart is characterised by a cricket player who is identified as James the main actor who resides in urban areas, but after the doctor identifies a heart problem that is threatening his life, he decides to go back to the rural areas and live with his parents.
Upon arriving at the rural areas, James notices that there is misunderstanding between his village and the nearby village due to political differences and tries to reconcile the two villages, the ‘Chari’s’ and the ‘Kasawi’s’.
Using cricket as a central plot, James succeeds in addressing a volatile and critical subject without pointing fingers at any of the involved parties.
The film that was produced by Kudakwashe Moyo would be distributed for free and it features prominent actors such as Morebrain Marara who also featured in Lobola and Fidelis Cheza who became popular in the local soap Studio 263 as ‘Danger’.
Due to poor funding of the film industry in Africa, funders take advantage of the situation to influence content of local films by imposing their ideologies.
As a result, the story of Zimbabwe has been portrayed negatively by Western-funded media projects including films in a bid to continue inciting violence in the country to perpetuate the regime change agenda.
However, Two Villages Apart appeared to have taken heed of the plight of Zimbabweans by telling the story of reconciliation from the country’s perspective and correct negative perceptions about Zimbabwe and its people.
The film also comes at a time when the country is in the process of promoting local artistes and content in the media through the 75 percent local content Policy.
Meanwhile, with the noble quest to contribute to spreading the message of peace, a group of local musicians produced a 11-track peace album entitled Oneness Zimbabwe.
All the eleven tracks on the album which features prominent artistes such as Mechanic Manyeruke, Pastor Haisa and Jonathan Mugazi among others, deliver a strong message of peace and unity.
Songs on the album include, ‘Kubatana’, ‘Ukuthula’, ‘Ukubambana’, ‘Maita Nerunyararo’, ‘Runyararo’, ‘Ruregerero’ and Zimbabwe Unite among others.

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