Ngoda to première in Bulawayo

Langalakhe Mabena
After successfully launching Ngoda in Harare last month with the event sponsored and powered by Telco broadband, the 90-minute movie is set to première in Bulawayo on 26 April at the Academy of Music.

The storyline of the movie is set in 2006 amid the diamond rush that started in Zimbabwe.

It was shot last year in Zimbabwe entirely with the popular site on the movie being Dzimbanhete.

The film cast is a star-studded ensemble of top Zimbabwean talent which includes Eddie Sandifolo, Elijah Madzikatire, Taurai Kawara, Charmaine Mujeri, Caroline Mashingaidze Zimbizi, Farai Chigudu, Charles Njagu, Dalma Chiwereva, Charity Dlodlo, Lovejoy Mawoneka, Felix Machingambi, Stewart Sakarombe and Chati Butao.

Production team includes Joe Njagu, Eddie Sandifolo, Charles Njagu, Farai Chimombe, Farai Chigudu, Philip Marumha, Jude Dutiro and Malaika Mushandu who has stepped onto the film scene with a bang after her directorial debut with her award-winning film Mirage which scooped numerous awards last year and got her nominated for Best Director at the prestigious AMMA awards in Nigeria.

In order to capture a storyline in line with the diamond rush, a writing team composed of Charles Njagu, Eddie Sandifolo and Joe Njagu conducted research and visited the mining area in order to come up with the fictionalised story that gave birth to Ngoda the movie.

“Set in 2006 amid the diamond mining rush that started in Zimbabwe, to claim back their land, the Toropito brothers have to raise enough money to buy it back forcing them into the illegal diamond mining world.

“They work for a ruthless diamond dealer who rips them off their finds for low payouts. Tindo, the eldest of the brothers, accidentally finds a big diamond and decides to hide it from everyone, including his brothers and wife.

“The diamond is stolen from Tindo and news of the big stone spreads. The hunt for the diamond is on, but how do you find something that has already been stolen? Greed, betrayal and disloyalty leads to fatal consequences in this dramatic thriller,” reads the synopsis of the movie.

Ngoda has started on a high note as it has already won the Best Film at this year’s National Arts Merit Awards (Nama) and Farai Chigudu was also nominated for Best Actor Award at the same ceremony.

In working with such a star-studded cast on the movie from different backgrounds, Joe Njagu said: “Collaboration is the magic key to building this film sector into a viable commercial industry, we need to all bring our creative skills together and make amazing films. The market is hungry for content and the onus is on us to supply.”