Career TV’S Short Film to Air on Mzansi Magic
Careers TV, a multimedia subsidiary of C College, has successfully completed its first ever short film, which was commissioned by Multichoice to be aired on Mzansi Magic Channel 161.
The film is called Molamu and explores the indigenous wisdom found in Basotho’s stick-fighting. It is a coming-of-age story of a suburban teenager named Gopolang (Thapelo Merabe) who finds himself running in a maze of confusion and grief, following the passing of his father, David Mokoena, who is portrayed by Matli Mohapeloa. The film carries a crucial message of heritage, culture and responsible manhood.
Gopolang is a promising hockey player and bright student whose current mental condition worries his teachers and his mother. Taking advantage of his outbursts, his schoolmates stage a scene in the office of the school principal (Rorisang Thandekiso), accusing him of slapping another schoolgirl. What follows is Gopolang’s suspension from school and his desperate mother’s call to his grandfather to announce their visit to Qwa-Qwa, where Gopolang will hopefully learn the discipline of manhood, positive masculinity and emotional intelligence.
A city boy with access to many privileged amenities, Gopolang struggles to adjust to rural life and earns himself a rival in the form of Sello, a local stick-fighting champion who is jealous that Gopolang and Mosongoa have rekindled their childhood friendship. It is Sello who drives Gopolang towards studying Basotho’s fighting stick, molamu. His grandfather passes down all he knows about molamu, becoming his grandson’s master who guides him on how to channel his anger positively and defend his honour as a man. Consequently, Gopolang can now stand his ground against Sello and knocks him out in stick-fighting. Now back in Bloemfontein, the story strikes a resolution when the learners involved in the plot to get Gopolang suspended confess to the principal, and Gopolang is subsequently reinstated.
C College CEO Mpho Madzibadela said: “Careers TV is a platform that enables the youth to tell their stories and own their future. Storytelling is an important part of who we are as Africans. Through it we connect with our past, define our present and document our history for future generations. This is what Molamu: The Fighting Stick is about. Most importantly, we were intentional about selecting a cast of mostly young and unknown actors because as an organisation, youth development is our brand.”
Madzibadela further stated that now more than ever, the Free State must rise from the periphery and take centre stage, as the South African television landscape lacks content from the province.
Molamu: The Fighting Stick is showing on Mzansi Magic Channel 161 this coming Saturday, 02 October 2021.
Originally published at Art State.
