Making a movie that costs nothing

The time around Christmas and New Year is always full of hope, promise, new impulses and ideas on how to get away from the negative spiral. Young people are mentioned alongside alcohol, drugs and mischief. We hear a lot about school dropouts, teenage pregnancies and unprotected sexual activities, but there is also positive news.

Meda, the Malindi Education and Development Association, contacted some people and requested them to prepare a budget to produce a real life story at minimum cost. Max Kombe took on the challenge together with Teddy Savallas Otieno, a filmmaker just returned from a few years stint in Italy. Now he shares his experience and know-how with young talented people locally.

Tabasami Entertainment Group scouted and found untapped talents and creative youngsters. Max and Teddy are convinced the youth should be kept busy interesting projects to keep them off the streets and drugs.

The movie production called Fate started shooting in December with promises of financial assistance, but unfortunately, nothing materialised in time.

Free services

I met them at this desperate stage and was able to help them with charge locations at no cost. A few days later, still shooting on schedule, the cast and crew all chipped in and paid for essentials like transport, water and food. The three-man production team, crew and cast of 22 became the heart of this film production, especially young actress Nashra Hamada from Tanzania who was convinced to join them with no payment. She plays the lead role.

Meda gave a small digital camera to Rashid Kazungu — also a rapper by the name of Man2. The film locations were all in and around Malindi. The real life story in Kiswahili, written by Amon Kombe, is about a close knit family. The parents are hardworking but the children are involved in all sorts of problems and drama. One girl is addicted to alcohol, one boy is a junkie, one is a good boy but confused and their nephew is a religious crook!

The movie is set to premiere in February next year.