Kumele iKwaZulu-Natal ibhukule kwezamafilimu
IQALILE iDurban International Film Festival (iDIFF) ngoLwesine zili-16 kuNtulikazi.
Ivulwe ngefilimu u-AYANDA evutshelwe kuleli laseNingizimu Afrika. Okugqamile kule filimu wukubonakala kwekhono lalabo abaqalayo ukulingisa kulo mkhakha wezokungcebeleka. Kuphinde kwagqama nokuthi ifilimu yonke ididiyelwe ngabesifazane, okunguTerry Phetho (weTsotsi) ebambisene noSarah Blecher (we-Otelo Burning). Kuyajabulisa nokubona kwanda ukubambisana kwabadidiyeli baseNingizimu Afrika nabakwamanye amazwe ezwenikazi lase-Afrika, njengoba le filimu ibophele nomlingisi waseNigeria u-O.C. Ukeje.
Libonakala lithuthuka izinga lokwenziwa kwamafilimu kuleli kodwa okuseyinkinga wukungakwazi kwelakuleli ukukhiqiza amafilimu angaphezulu kweshumi ngonyaka. Okunye okukhinyabezayo wukuthi iningi lalawa mafilimu likhiqizwa ezifundazweni iGauteng neWestern Cape. KwelikaMthaniya namanje kuseyinkinga. Inkinga enkulu yesifundazwe saKwa-Zulu Natal kuseyikho ukuba yindlala kwabantu abanolwazi kwezokwenziwa kwamafilimu ngenxa yokungabibikho kwengqalasizinda edingwa yile mboni. Ukushoda kwale ngqalasizinda kwenza kube nzima ukuqeqesha labo abafisa ukusebenza kulo mkhakha. Lokhu kwenza abaningi bazibone befudukela eGoli naseKapa. Uma ubheka iningi labantu abenza amafilimu nalabo abathwebulayo, abezobuxhakaxhaka bemisindo, abakhanyisayo, iningi labo liqhamuka kulesi sifundazwe.
Isikhona nokho inhlasana yethemba njengoba sekuneKZN Film Commission evulwe ngonyaka wezi-2014 nezinze enkabeni yeTheku. Inkinga wukuthi kwayona iCommission ithanda ukunqindeka amandla ngenxa yobuncane bemali eyinikiwe ukuze ixhase ukwenziwa kwamafilimu nokuthuthukisa labo abafuna ulwazi olujulile kwezokwenziwa kwamafilimu. ITheku nalo linowalo uMnyango obizwa ngeDurban Film Office nawo ozamayo ukuxhasa labo abafuna ukwenza amafilimu. Nakhona-ke inkinga isafana ngoba imali yaleli hhovisi (iDurban Film Office) ifana notiki. Umbuzo uhlale umile owokuthi ngabe isifundazwe kanye neTheku bazimisele kangakanani ekufukuleni nasekuthuthukiseni le mboni yefilimu uma iminyango inganikwa izimali ezizoyenza isebenze ngokunegalelo? Okunye okuxakayo wukuthi le minyango iye inikezwe abaphathi abangazi lutho ngemboni yefilimu, okubonakala kahle nje ukuthi basaphumputha. Ngisho ubheka nabantu abahlala ezikhundleni zamaBhodi alezi zinhlangano uyabona ukuthi abanye babo abakaze babhale noma baqondise ngisho umdlalo weshashalazi, kodwa banikezwe izikhundla ezinkulu ezithwaliswe umsebenzi wokufukula le mboni. Isifundazwe sethu sinakho ukutazeka ngokugixabeza abamhlophe izikhundla ezibhekene nokuthuthukisa aboHlanga, benjalo nje laba abamhlophe bengakwazi nokuphimisa elilodwa nje igama lolimi lwesiZulu. Lokhu kwenza imikhankaso abayenzayo ifinyelele kakhulu kulabo abakwazi ukuveteza olukaJoji (isiNgisi).
ENingizimu Afrika izibalo zikhomba ukuthi ababuki bamafilimu bangaphansi kwezigidi ezi-4. Wonke amacinema akhiwe ezindaweni zabamhlophe, atholakala ikakhulukazi emamalls. Nalawo mamalls akhiwa ezindaweni okuhlala kuzo aboHlanga awafakwa ama-cinema okwenza baphoqeleke ukuba bathole izinto zokuhamba ezibayisa lapho beyobuka khona amafilimu. Izokhula kanjani-ke le mboni uma kusabukelwa phansi ukuthuthukiswa kwale ngqalasizinda ezindaweni okuhlala khona iningi labantu? Lokhu kwenza nesifo sokudayiswa kwamafilimu angamawuwa sibhebhetheke.
Kuyihlazo nje nokuthi selokhu leli lizwe lathola inkululeko lisagabe ngeNdondo ye-Oscar eyodwa ngefilimu iTsotsi. Kufanele engabe lesi simo asiziniki ubuthongo iziphathimandla kodwa kunalokho kunakwa kakhulu okwasemazweni aphesheya. Kuyihlazo ukuthi kuleli asinabo abalingisi abavelele kulo mkhakha wamafilimu kodwa siciciyela ngalabo bethelevishini. Lokhu kuseyizimpawu zokusalela kwethu emuva embonini yefilimu.
Ukwanda kwamafilm festival kungasiza ekukhuthazeni ukubhalwa kwamafilimu ngendlela esezingeni elamukelekile. Ukuqinisa ekuqeqeshweni kwababhali kusemqoka kanti kudinga ukwesekwa ngezimali zangempela kungenziwa sakuchitha icala. Njengesifundazwe nezwe singaba nabo abalingisi abasezingeni eliphezulu kodwa uma kungekho babhali abasezingeni bazolingisani?
Iyancomeka inhlansana ebonakalayo yokukhula kwemboni yezamafilimu kuleli, nogqozi olubonakalayo esifundazweni saKwaZulu-Natal. Asethembe ukuthi iziphathimandla ezilawula izimali ngelinye ilanga ziyobona kubalulekile ukuthi kufakwe izimali ezibhekile ezizokwenza umehluko futhi zibhekane ngqo nentuthuko embonini yefilimu.
Isaqhubeka-ke iDurban International Film Festival (iDIFF) kuze kube mhla zingama-26 kuNtulikazi 2015.
- UMnu u-Edmund Mhlongo ungumqondisi wezobuciko nomsunguli we-Ekhaya Multi-Arts Centre owenza iziqu zobuDokotela kwezokuPhathwa kwamaBhizinisi eParis School of Business.