Issues resulting from interracial marriages form the backbone of a new
Zimbabwean comedy drama.
The recent UK launch and world premiere of The In-Laws, written and directed
by Zimbabwean born Demetria Karongah, took place at the University of
Bedfordshire and was presented by Sahara Movies in association with GMC
Pictures.
Described as a hilarious comedy drama, The In-Laws reveals Karongah’s creative
maturity and marks her entry as a new voice in the African-diaspora film industry.
Karongah herself features in the movie alongside Ashley Majaya, Julie Ann
Burleton and King Alfred.
“The film took 11 months to put together and the script went through numerous
drafts to make sure it was an objective account of the popular custom,’ explains
Karongah.
She elaborates that the film revolves around the clash of beliefs and differences
of opinion that result from interracial marriages. It seeks to provoke dialogue to
bridge the gap.
The film shows an elderly couple travelling from Africa to Europe for the first time
to attend the graduation ceremony of their daughter. A culture shock awaits the
conservative couple at the hands of their European daughter-in-law who is
married to their only son.
The elderly couple dismisses their daughter-in-law as “a good for nothing’ and
the mother stops at nothing to make sure she dissolves her son’s marriage. In
the process she faces the wrath of the daughter-in-law who is determined to
hang on to her husband.
The daughter-in-law also has to contend with her sister-in-law, an ambitious,
two-faced woman who has mastered the art of fuelling commotion while
appearing to be a saint. She thrives on making her brother’s situation look
horrendous in her parents’ eyes and deliberately pushes her African parents to
the edge in order to fix her Caucasian sister-in-law to her own advantage.
A struggling Zimbabwe-born music producer is thrown into the mix. He is a father
of three children, all with different women. The music producer drops the
conventional African way in favour of another culture to suit his new identity and
lives off unemployment benefits.
Karongah states that throughout the unpredictable scenes in the film the
parents and children are locked in a destructive debate on customary family and
marital ideals.
“The film also cleverly highlights the clash of beliefs when Africa meets Europe,’
she adds.
Set in the UK, The In-Laws was shot in English with some sequences in the
Shona language.
This is Karongah’s second film following her debut movie Thorns, in which she
also appeared. This 2010 release won her the Best Up-Coming Female award at
the UK-organised ZAFAA African FILM Festival and Academy Awards (2011).
Currently on release in the UK, The In-Laws will have its summer premiere in
Zimbabwe, followed by a theatrical release and worldwide DVD distribution.
“The most effective distribution networks are still being assessed but it is likely
that we will prioritise the African communities at home and abroad since they
form the primary audience for the film,’ concludes Karongah.
