Cinema of Botswana

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The history of the Cinema of Botswana (or cinema in Botswana) comprises film-making in the Southern African country of Botswana, both before and after Botswana's independence.

Contents

The local film industry of Botswana has been nicknamed "Botswood" by some, [1] similar to the way the Indian film industry is called "Bollywood", the Nigerian one "Nollywood", and the American one "Hollywood".

Early history

According to historian Neil Parsons, the earliest known surviving copy of a film recorded in Botswana dates back to between 1906 and 1907. [2] According to him, a London, England–based company owned by a man named Charlie Urban sent cameramen to record a documentary about the Bechuanaland Railways trip to Victoria Falls, a train trip which passed through territory of what is today's country of Botswana. Ethnographer Rudolf Pöch from Austria then came and made a series of short films in the African country, which incorporated sound and color and featured a sixty-year-old man, Kubi. Parsons considered Kubi the "first Botswana film star". [2]

In 1912, a Londoner known as W. Butcher obtained permission to travel to Eastern Botswana to film a march by the Bangwato regiments; this took place at the city of Serowe. [2] From the time of the First World War and up to the Second World War, Botswana's film industry's productions were dominated by documentaries about local peoples of the Botswana western region and newsreels about things happening at the east.

Reportedly, the first Filmmaker from Botswana was a man named Molefi Pilane, [3] a local, tribal chief who allegedly recorded women bathing by using a small recording camera. A woman known as "Miss Muichison" recorded films totaling about two hours, detailing the operations of the African Auxiliary Pioneers Corps; two parts are known to survive and a third is suspected of existing somewhere in Botswana. [3]

The film named Bechuanaland Protectorate was made during the Second World War and has to do with APC soldiers returning home from North Africa after winning a trip back to Botswana. The film features tribal chief Bathoen II.

Cape Town film-maker Bill Lewis came to Botswana territory in 1947 to film the Royal visit to a farm where APC soldiers had been. [4] American Tom Larson also came during the late 1940s; he filmed two documentaries, one titled "Rainmakers of the Okavango" which was released in 1948. [5]

Botswana hit the world headlines in 1950 because of the political complications surrounding the marriage of Seretse Khama to Ruth Williams. At least 21 newsreel clips cover these events of 1949 to 1956. The earliest newsreel item, titled 'The African Domain of Ruth Williams' (British Movietone News, 25 August 1949, 3 minutes), [6] made British movie-goers gasp audibly when the well-known voice of Leslie Mitchell told them that thornbush zarebas around households in Serowe were protection against marauding lions. [7]

1950s to 1960s

Local politician, the future first President of Botswana Seretse Khama, a Black man, married Ruth Williams, a White woman from England, in 1948, bringing Botswana international attention because of regional Apartheid laws; this made several film production companies produce movietone reels about the couple. The companies that filmed these features included Paramount Pictures and Universal News. [4] Films about this couple continued being produced well after they had left Botswana to live in exile.

1953 saw the production of "Remmants of a Dying Race", produced by Molepolole resident Louis Knobel, a White man who worked for the South African Information Services. This film detailed lives of the San people living on the Kalahari desert, which includes part of Botswana. It was produced under the "Kalahari Films" company name and lasted 17 minutes. [8]

"The Hunters", a 1957 film production by American John Marshall was also about the people living on the Kalahari, as was the BBC's show, "The Lost World of the Kalahari", featuring South African host Laurens van der Post.

The American show "Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom" also came to film around Botswana several times during the 1960s. [8]

Botswana gained its independence in 1966, [9] bringing political, social and cultural changes to the area, including the way films were produced and developed in the then new African country.

Recent history

In 1980, John Marshall filmed another of his many Botswana-related documentaries, "Nǃai, the Story of a ǃKung Woman", about the struggles of a !Kung woman, N!ai, who was forcibly married at age eight to a tribal healer.

The 1981 comedy, "The Gods Must Be Crazy" was set in Botswana and became a major international hit; it spanned one official and three unofficial sequels:1988's "The Gods Must Be Crazy II" was also a hit, both movies making Namibian actor Nǃxau ǂToma a well known movie star, while 1991's "Crazy Safari" is the first of three unofficial sequels which were made by a Hong Kong–based film company named Orange Sky Golden Harvest, also starring Nǃxau ǂToma. The two latter others, "Crazy in Hong Kong" (1993) and "The Gods Must Be Funny In China" (1995) were not filmed in Botswana.

2000's Disney production "Whispers: An Elephant's Tale" was filmed in Botswana, starring Hollywood legend Angela Bassett. Later on, during 2009, parts of M. Saravanan's Tamil language Indian action film, "Ayan" were recorded in Botswana.

Thokolosi is a Botswana television drama series that aired on BTV in 2006. It depicts the supernatural phenomenon of witchcraft in a village called Bobonong. The series sparked a public controversy, as some viewers from Bobonong and other regions accused it of being prejudiced and insensitive to their culture and beliefs. The creators of the series defended it as a creative and educational work of art that aimed to raise awareness and discussion on the issue of censorship. [10] [11]

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency was shot on location in Botswana starting in 2007. [12] It was the first major production to be filmed in Botswana, and the government provided five million dollars of funding for the project. [13]

Rradijo is a 2009 Botswana direct to video comedy series starring Radikgang Mandiane as the titular character. It rose to fame at its launch, selling 150,000 units in total between Botswana and South Africa. [14] The comedy series based in Botswana follows the life of an elderly man who loves his food more than anything and despises anyone who interrupts his meals. He often gets into hilarious situations with his wife Mmadijo, performed by co-star Boitumelo Serebotswe, and his friend 'Phongo', performed by co-star Onkagetse Ofetotse. [15] [14]

Colours is an urban drama of 26 episode, commissioned in 2016, premiering on 10 October 2018. [16] Set in the Gaborone metropolis as well as Ramotswa. It touches on drug abuse, HIV AIDs, youth waywardness in a corrective approach. It is the story of Tirelo, a young man despised by his friends and relatives for never following through anything in life. [17]

The critically acclaimed "A United Kingdom", about the real-life love story of Seretse Khama and Ruth Williams, was filmed partly between Botswana and London, England and was released internationally in 2016.

The 2022 documentary African Moot was shot in Botswana.

The 2024 Game show program Logaga lwa Ditiragalo(meaning "exchange of cultures") will be a cultural exchange competition held in Botswana. [18] The competition aims to preserve and revive traditional cultural practices, foster cultural tourism, and promote understanding and tolerance among different ethnic groups and will unfold over forty days, starting in October 2024. [19] [20]

Cinema companies

Botswana has a number of cinema and movie theater companies, including New Capitol Cinemas [21] and Gaborone Cine Centre. [22]

Related Research Articles

The history of Botswana encompasses the region's ancient and tribal history, its colonisation as the Bechuanaland Protectorate, and the present-day Republic of Botswana. The first modern humans to inhabit Botswana were the San people, and agriculture first developed approximately 2,300 years ago. The first Bantu peoples arrived c. 200 AD, and the first Tswana people arrived about 200 years later. The Tswana people split into various tribes over the following thousand years as migrations within the region continued, culminating in the Difaqane in the late 18th century. European contact first occurred in 1816, which led to the Christianization of the region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khama III</span> King (Kgosi) of the Bangwato people of central Botswana (r. 1875–1923)

Khama III, referred to by missionaries as Khama the Good also called Khama the Great, was the Kgosi of the Bangwato people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seretse Khama</span> First President of Botswana (1921–1980)

Sir Seretse Goitsebeng Maphiri Khama, GCB, KBE was a Botswana politician who served as the first President of Botswana, a post he held from 1966 to his death in 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bechuanaland Protectorate</span> British protectorate in southern Africa; became Botswana in 1966

The Bechuanaland Protectorate was a protectorate established on 31 March 1885 in Southern Africa by the United Kingdom. It became the Republic of Botswana on 30 September 1966.

Serowe is an urban village in Botswana's Central District. A trade and commercial centre, it is Botswana's third largest village. Serowe has played an important role in Botswana's history, as capital for the Bamangwato people in the early 20th century and as birthplace of several of Botswana's presidents. More recently it has undergone significant development as the town and as Botswana continues to grow.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruth Williams Khama</span> First Lady of Botswana from 1966 to 1980

Ruth Williams Khama, Lady Khama was the wife of Botswana's first president Sir Seretse Khama, the Paramount Chief of its Bamangwato tribe. She served as the inaugural First Lady of Botswana from 1966 to 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Culture of Botswana</span>

Besides referring to the language of the dominant people groups in Botswana, Setswana is the adjective used to describe the rich cultural traditions of the Batswana - whether construed as members of the Setswana ethnic groups or of all citizens of Botswana. the Batswana believe in the rich culture of Botho-Ubuntu, "People are not individuals, living in a state of independence, but part of a community, living in relationships and interdependence." Batswana believe in working together and in being united.

Shoshong is a town in Botswana, formerly the chief settlement of the eastern Bamangwato.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tshekedi Khama</span> King (Kgosi) of Bechuanaland, Ruler of the Bangwato people of central Botswana

Tshekedi Khama was the regent-king of the Bamangwato tribe in 1926 after the death of Sekgoma II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tshekedi Khama II</span> Botswana politician

Tshekedi Stanford Khama is a Botswana politician. He was MP for Serowe West from 2008 to 21 April 2023. He was automatically disqualified from the National Assembly after missing two consecutive sessions because of his self-imposed exile to South Africa.

The history of Gaborone began with archaeological evidence in the area around Gaborone dating back to 400 BCE, and the first written accounts of Gaborone are from the earliest European settlers in the 19th century. Since the 1960s, when Botswana gained its independence from Britain and Gaborone became the capital, the city has grown from a small village in the Botswana scrubland to a major center in southern Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Three Dikgosi Monument</span> Monument in Gaborone, Botswana

The Three Dikgosi Monument is a bronze sculpture located in the Central Business District of Gaborone, Botswana. The statues depict three dikgosi, or tribal chiefs: Khama III, Sebele I, and Bathoen I. The three dikgosi played important roles in Botswana's independence. In 1895, the three men traveled to Great Britain to ask Joseph Chamberlain, Secretary of State for the Colonies, and Queen Victoria to separate the Bechuanaland Protectorate from Cecil Rhodes's British South Africa Company and Southern Rhodesia. Permission was then granted which made Botswana under direct British rule until its independence. There are six plinths giving information about Botswana's independence and struggles. A large coat of arms is featured in front of the three statues. A contract was given to North Korean company Mansudae Overseas Projects to build the monument, which resulted in disappointment from local sculptors. Some minority ethnic groups in Botswana see it as a decree of Tswana dominance.

Sir Percivale Liesching was a British civil servant who held two posts as Permanent Under-Secretary and was High Commissioner in South Africa.

The Independence Day of Botswana, commonly called Boipuso in Setswana, is a national holiday observed in Botswana on September 30 of every year. The date celebrates Botswana's Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on September 30, 1966.

<i>A United Kingdom</i> 2016 film by Amma Asante

A United Kingdom is a 2016 biographical romantic drama film directed by Amma Asante and written by Guy Hibbert, based on the true-life romance of Seretse Khama, heir to the throne of the Bangwato Tribe in Serowe – one of many tribes found in then Bechuanaland Protectorate – with his wife Ruth Williams Khama. David Oyelowo and Rosamund Pike portray Seretse and Ruth, respectively.

Donald Leungo Gosego Molosi is a Botswana actor, writer and playwright. Molosi debuted off-Broadway in 2010 as Philly Lutaaya in Today It's Me making him the first Motswana to perform off-Broadway. In 2011, Molosi won the Best Short Solo Award at United Solo Theatre Festival for his performance as Seretse Khama in Blue, Black and White. In 2013, Molosi returned off-Broadway to perform Motswana: Africa, Dream Again. He played supporting roles in the films A United Kingdom (2016) and Given (2009). As a playwright, Molosi has published a collection of his original off-Broadway plays, which include We Are All Blue, Blue, Black and White and Motswana: Africa, Dream Again in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Semane Setlhoko Khama</span> Mohumagadi (queen or queen mother) of the BaNgwato of the Bechuanaland Protectorate

Semane Setlhoko Khama (1881–1937) was a mohumagadi of the BaNgwato Kingdom in the Bechuanaland Protectorate. Educated in a missionary school, she became a teacher and upon her marriage to Khama III continued to press for education for the BaNgwato. A proponent of modern medicine, she was influential in bringing modern midwifery to the area. As a devout Christian, she encouraged women's involvement in the church and the Woman's Christian Temperance Union.

The Khama III Memorial Museum is a museum located in Serowe, Botswana. The museum is dedicated to the history of the Khama family and Serowe.

The History of Botswana includes its pre-state history, its colonial period as the Bechuanaland Protectorate, and its modern history as a sovereign state.

References

  1. ↑ dijit.net. "'Botswood' sees film production start to blossom in Botswana | Balancing Act". Africa. Archived from the original on 28 October 2021. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 "Botswana Cinema Studies". thuto.org. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  3. 1 2 "History of Film in Southern Africa | Southern African Cinematography 1913 - present". southernafricancinema.wordpress.com. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  4. 1 2 "Botswana Cinema Studies". thuto.org. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  5. ↑ "Botswana Cinema Studies". thuto.org. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
  6. ↑ "AFRICAN DOMAIN OF RUTH WILLIAMS". Youtube.com.
  7. ↑ "The African Domain of Ruth Williams". British Universities Film & Video Council.
  8. 1 2 "Botswana Cinema Studies". thuto.org. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
  9. ↑ "Botswana (Bechuanaland) - African Studies". Oxford Bibliographies. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
  10. ↑ "Thokolosi man vows to stay away from controversy".
  11. ↑ "Batswana audience and the 'Thokolosi' television drama controversy". Marang: Journal of Language and Literature. 17 (1). 2007. doi:10.4314/marang.v17i1.39312.
  12. ↑ Bellafante, Ginia (26 March 2009). "Unusual Sleuth, Unusual Setting". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  13. ↑ "'Ladies' Detective' film brings Tinsel Town to tiny Botswana". Christian Science Monitor. 1 August 2007. ISSN   0882-7729 . Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  14. 1 2 "Botswana's direct-to-DVD movies gaining popularity". Sunday Standard. 2 February 2009.
  15. ↑ "Botswana: Comedian, Phongo Proves There's Life After Radijo". AllAfrica.com. 12 August 2009.
  16. ↑ "Colors TV Drama thrills Batswana". Weekend Post. 23 October 2018.
  17. ↑ "Colours exposes SA viewers to beauty and challenges of Botswana". Sowetan Live. 12 September 2023.
  18. ↑ "Logaga Lwa Ditiragalo". logaga.
  19. ↑ "LOGAGA LWA DITIRAGALO REVIVES PROMOTES CULTURE". Daily News. 11 February 2024.
  20. ↑ "TV Show explores Tswana culture". Weekend Post. 6 February 2024.
  21. ↑ "New Capitol Cinemas". newcapitolcinema.co.bw. Archived from the original on 26 October 2021. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
  22. ↑ "Movie Theaters in Gaborone, Botswana". Cinema Treasures. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
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