As Youth Month draws to a close, theatre and television legend Sello Maake kaNcube will address issues involving the empowerment of young film-makers in South Africa, at the inaugural Gauteng Film Commission’s (GFC) lecture.
The event is set to take place at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) on Thursday, June 30.
Maake kaNcube, who is headlining the event, will be joined by fellow industry leaders from the Africa Movie Academy Awards and International Emmy Awards nominated Thabang Moleya, as well as award-winning TV executive Legend Manqele.
The lecture aims to address the state of the local film economy and how it can assist the industry get back on its feet.
“We were devastated by Covid, but as much as we were devastated, for people to survive, during Covid, they needed entertainment. And that showed the importance of the entertainment industry to the whole ecosystem,” says Maake kaNcube.
“Now we need to re-inspire ourselves and regain our strength and venture into the future with courage and strength. And I think in so doing, we have to really dig deep into our own humanity.
He adds: “There is this British writer called Edward Bond, there's one quote of his about the culture that I love and it says: ‘Culture will be each individual’s understanding of his community and his commitment to it’.
“And he continues to say, the artist’s job is to make the process public, to create public images, literal or figurative in signs, sound and movement of the human condition, public images in which our species recognises itself and confirms its identity.
“And I think that is one thing that we actually have got to be holistic about in how we depict our human condition.
“Somehow it is going to be literal, but also we have got to be figurative, use metaphors, but also use signs, sound and movement, basically making sure that those public images help us to recognise ourselves and to confirm our identity.”
This inaugural lecture forms part of GFC’s “Discover Summit”, which will take place in October.
The organisation seeks more ways to uplift young creatives by giving them access to established industry veterans as focal points and guiding voices, to develop them into self-sustaining members of the industry.
“One of the topics that I’m going to be speaking to is our portrayal of the human condition,” said Maake kaNcube.
“I will be speaking on acting as well, because I think we have adopted ways of interpreting our human condition that were not informed by us and by our own background.
“Also when we look at where we pick up, for instance, our knowledge of acting, we go to people like the famous Polish director Jerzy Jerzy Grotowski … people from outside our boundaries, but we haven't brought it home.”
In addition, the organisation aims to market Gauteng as a destination of choice for those seeking to engage in all aspects of film-making, with its world-class infrastructure.
“So there are going to be a series of dialogues leading to the summit, which I hope will also bring Gauteng to be the centre of the film industry in the country. We do have film festivals, but I am hoping and praying that we get to have an intercontinental film festival, like Fespaco (the Pan-African Film & TV Festival of Ouagadougou), the film festival held every February in Burkina Faso.
“I’m hoping that the GFC could get to that point where we have a huge film festival in the country and even throw theatre into the mix. Gauteng has got to be of the continent, I wish to see is it like that.”
This lecture will be streamed on the GFC Facebook and Instagram pages from noon on June 30.