23 Nov 2023

South African filmmaker, Rethabile Mothobi has encouraged Botswana filmmakers to create captivating local content with a universal feel to attract masses.

Engaging at the Botswana Film Festival (BIFF) master class session on November 21, which spoke of finding room for Botswana narrative in the African and global cinema, Mothobi said although she might not understand the narrative of Botswana, she could safely say the narrative stood to craft vibrant local stories with authenticity and universal face.

“Joy, grief, love and many others are universal feels, but you need to make it all hyper local,” she said. 

Commenting on the issue, Moabi Mogorosi said Botswana was rich with narrative.

He also said the narrative always came to being global as ‘we are global citizens, whatever we feel, and feel is honest and reflects who we are, what we are what we like and what our thoughts are will be a good Botswana narrative. A good story told by a Motswana from deep inside themselves.’

Additionally, Mogorosi said as a country, it was important to have an authentic voice and show the world what Botswana was made of.  

Mogorosi, who established his film career overseas said it was important to have teams and have highly skilled crew members to deliver great productions.

He said it was wise to always source the best in order to improve skills, which goes down to building and creating networks. 

Both Mogorosi and Mothobi advised young filmmakers to keep telling stories and not be discouraged by lack of financial support.

They encouraged them to persevere and be cautious of accepting deals, which did not speak to them as filmmakers. ENDS