With the advancing digital technology, film production has improved a great deal, especially in Africa where modern-day equipment was, until recently, hard to come by. Availability of affordable production equipment has made it possible for young Africans to pursue their dreams in film.
This burst has in turn brought with it new levels of creativity as witnessed in the latest Malawian action flick titled “The Town Monger”. Since the release of its trailer a few weeks ago, the film, which is the first locally produced action movie, has generated a lot of online buzz and is already attracting the attention of top cable distributors in the region.
Although the film lacks the high-tech creations seen in Hollywood movies, its highly thrilling Kung Fu style action scenes have made it a blockbuster in Malawi and neighboring countries.
Self-Taught Acrobats
The Town Monger is a production of a local acrobatics group made up of four school drop-outs from Area 36 Township in the capital Lilongwe. The group, which calls itself Kufewa Acrobatics, has for a long time been performing in the streets of Lilongwe for handouts from passersby.
The four acrobats are self-taught and mainly relying on Jackie Chan movies and Cirque de Soleil videos to improve their acts. In 2015, having perfected their rare talents, the four embarked on a mission to make their own movie. That’s how The Town Monger was born.
In a recent interview with VOA News, the group’s manager Denis Imaan said the overwhelming positive responses from locals have motivated them to become even more creative.
“It is not what we expected, and we have been overwhelmed by the response. We have taken some time now just to sit down, trying to strategize like ‘OK, where do we go from now?” Imaan said.
Interestingly, the 82-minute film was produced with a borrowed camera and a rented iPad. It tells a story of the many challenges that have bedeviled Malawians for a long time.
‘The Town Monger’ by Kufewa Acrobatic of Malawi is certainly better than most action movies from Nolly Wood and Bolly Wood.?
— Nicholas Kaponda (@nicholaskaponda) September 6, 2017
Fact is writers are born… The town monger in the local dailies is an example.
— Joseph Dumbula (@adumbula) June 24, 2016
Since the film is entirely in the local language, Chichewa, producers are currently busy adding English titles to cater to the international audience. The group is also planning to stage live performances of the film across Malawi and probably abroad.
