CINEMA-ZIMBABWE: The Flame Is Extinguished

By IPS Correspondents Reprint | | Print |

Lewis Machipisa

HARARE, Jan 16 1996 (IPS) - Last week (Jan. 12), members of the Zimbabwe Republic Police armed with a search warrant invaded the office of Harare’s Black and White film company and seized negatives of the still to be completed film ‘Flame’.

Reason? Police officials say they have information that the film would contain “subversive” language and that some scenes would be pornographic.

But apart from alleged “pornography”, other factors might be at play.

‘Flame’, a co-production betweeits producers knew they were certainly going to brew controversy, hence they decided from the beginning to adopt a policy of transparency.

“We submitted a copy of our script to the Ministry of Information and got their blessing and approval. The film that we have shot now is based on this script,” says Phiri.

They also wrote to the War Veterans Association — now the main critics of the film — informing them about the production. According to the producers they received no reply.

However “during the filming we invited them.” Ex-combatants occupied key positions on the Flame crew in the art department, acting, research for the script and sound department.

“We respect the feelings of those who fought during the struggle. It is for this reason that we have gone out of our way to consult veterans and take on board their views where we feel they fit into the structure our story,” says Phiri.

According to Simon Bright, executive producer of Flame, his company would take to the courts if their film is banned or made to alter the script.

“It is of fundamental importance the vision of the feature film Flame is the vision of its makers. We can not be party to film making by committee,” concurs Phiri.

“We are trading on dangerous grounds if any group, whether benevolent or otherwise, can see fit to express their view by interfering in a work of progress. It is indeed much more frightening if such groups can be allowed to use force of the law to achieve this aim,” he adds.

For Bright, “this is potentially disastrous for the film industry in Zimbabwe. After this film makers will ask themselves why they should develop their film in Zimbabwe. They would take it somewhere else.”

Zimbabwe’s censorship board is now expected to view the film and determine whether it contains any pornographic scenes. If they judge it does, charges will be laid against the film producers as pornography is illegal in largely conservative Zimbabwe.