HUNDREDS of people drawn from the local film industry yesterday thronged Warren Hills Cemetery in Harare to pay their last respects to veteran actor Fidelis Cheza, who died on Sunday night.
BY WINSTONE ANTONIO/TAFADZWA KACHIKO PICTURES BY TAFADZWA UFUMELI
Cheza featured in local productions such as Studio 263 and Mukadota Family drama where he played the roles of Danger and Chikwama respectively.
Cheza left behind a rich legacy in film, having featured infull-length films that include The Collector, Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold (1986), A Far Off Place (1993), Return to the Lost World (1992), Kini and Adams (1997) and Makunun’unu Maodzamoyo, a drama-based on veteran author Charles Mungoshi’s novel of the same title.
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During the course of his career, he rubbed shoulders with the acclaimed stars such as top American actor, Denzel Washington.
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Zimbabwe International Film and Festival Trust (ZIFFT) executive director, Nigel Munyati said it was sad that Cheza had passed on.
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“We have just finished a short film, The Collector, which he co-starred with Zimbabwe’s first visually impaired actress,” he said.
The director of the film, Justice Chapwanya-Mukoena said he was very shocked by the loss, describing Cheza as grandfatherly.
“I was shocked to hear about his death. I pass my condolences to his family. In the short period we worked together on The Collector he was like a grandfather figure to me, sharing a lot of helpful information about many circumstances in life,” he said.
