A new Zimbabwean feature film explores a shocking topic – the rape of males by female gangs.
Rooftop Promotions, the film wing of Creative Native Zimbabwe’s leading theatre and arts management company, completed post-production on Sinners? in February.
Sinners? boasts an experienced cast; Sarah Mpofu, Eunice Tava, Chipo Bizure, Denzel Burutsa and Teddy Mangava among others.
The film centres on three ladies of the night who have had enough of their trade and decide to venture into a more lucrative business and explore its potential.
Until now they were compelled to endure a way of life that they don’t enjoy. Their profession has exposed them to all types of customers yet their lives have not improved in any way.
The three women are recruited by a business woman to collect sperm from their male victims.
Says Lesley Zibonele Moyo, media officer at Rooftop Promotions: “Sinners? explores a hot topic in Zimbabwe where women gangs have reportedly trawled the country’s highways to offer transport to men before raping them.
“The three protagonists at first find formal business better than standing in the streets at night, in search of clients and risking danger and possible arrest.’
Sinners? is a screen adaptation from a theatre production of the same name, which premiered last year at the Creative Native-run Theatre in the Park in Harare.
The original play was written by Patrick Chasaya and the screenplay was penned by Blessing Hungwe. It is directed by US-based award-winning director, Patience Gamu Tawengwa, and produced by Daves Guzha.
Moyo notes that the play enjoyed a successful run and proved popular among theatre lovers for its no-holds barred approach towards delicate and explicit subject matter.
Guzha comments that he enjoyed this latest production especially after a long break from producing movies.
“My intention this time around is to make full length feature films and end the persistent drought which has dogged our film industry. Zimbabweans have been starved of their own images for too long,’ he says.
Sinners? is set to launch this month. Guzha is yet to strike a distribution deal but plans to distribute the film to movie houses, festivals and on DVD.
The film was shot in several locations – at Rooftop Productions’ own offices in Eastlea, a friend’s house in Ashbrittle, a bar in Hillside, at the University of Zimbabwe and on several streets.
Creative Native’s core business is video and film production, and it offers services that include films (features and shorts), documentaries, talk shows, music videos, corporate videos and event documentation.
One of its most successful productions is Waiters which became the first co-production deal ever in post independent Zimbabwe with national broadcaster ZTV.
By Martin Chemhere
Screen Africa Magazine March 2012
