FILM and television director Rumbi Katedza says efforts should be made to promote and export Zimbabwean culture to different parts of the world through film.
Speaking in an interview with Alpha Media Holdings chairman Trevor Ncube on the platform In Conversation with Trevor, Katedza said Zimbabwe was lagging in film and television development.
“We need young people to be educated about film and different aspects of storytelling right from primary school level. It should not happen when they finally get to university later,” she said.
“We should have a visual literacy culture and appreciation of watching local content as well as international but particularly in this case local and African content as well as appreciating our local stories.”
Katedza, who has worked with Oprah Winfrey and at Prince Harry’s production companies to produce a documentary for Apple TV, believes that a vibrant film and television industry will help the country to export its culture instead of importing other cultures.
“We need to know who we are and we need to document and have things that are there for future generations to refer to ... we need to appreciate that we have our own history, important cultural practices, and so on ... and not just try to copy Hollywood, Bollywood and Nollywood,” she said.
“We should also have our own unique ideas and talents ... our film policy is really non-existent. We do not have a film policy, so we need as an industry, together with government, to look into a strategy for the growth of our industry ... We have incredible Zimbabwean talent that we see in international productions ... but we are not seeing enough growth locally because I do not think our local talent gets enough opportunity to try new kinds of skills in telling stories.”
Zimbabweans featuring in international film and television industry include Danai Gurira, Tongai Chirisa, Tendaiishe Chitima and Chiedza Mhende, among others.
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