Filmmaker Daphne Ampire Karema says investing in local movies is the best way to promote the country’s image.
Speaking during the premiere of “Borders” a Trailblazing Mini TV Series she helped to produce, Karema said the government ought to make deliberate investments to help salvage the movie industry.
“It is crucial that we establish credibility for our country as the Pearl of Africa. To achieve this, we must ensure that our narrative resonates with international audiences. Just as we export coffee, we have the opportunity to export our movies and share our ideals with the rest of the world,” Karema said adding that the industry has the potential to shape Uganda’s international image just like other countries have positioned themselves.
“I would like to express a viewpoint that many hold regarding America’s reputation as the best country in the world. It is often argued that America has successfully established itself as such through effective branding. Some skeptics question the portrayal of American fictitious characters like Rambo, who single-handedly eliminates thousands of enemies or the notion that aliens exclusively choose to land in America due to its status as the greatest nation on Earth. Just picture the impression we would leave on the world if we purposefully showcased our identity in our movies,” added Ms. Karema.
She said when the government invests in movie production; it would offer employment to talents in the film industry.
“A movie is a product that goes through a life cycle. It is created, produced, and marketed to be sold or distributed. I brought up that movie to highlight the immense impact it had on the movie industry. It’s worth noting that the production of this film directly employed around 300 individuals, with an additional 200 benefiting indirectly. In total, approximately 500 people were able to earn a living through their involvement in this project,” she noted.
On her part, Ms. Harriet Ntabazi, the junior Minister for Trade presided over the launch on Sunday at Motiv – Bugolobi, Kampala encouraged filmmakers to have self-esteem and go out of their comfort zones to make change as creatives. She believes that filmmaking has been very educational and played a significant role in the shaping of society regarding the different roles and messages they display.
I’m ready to support filmmakers if they come up as a team and form cooperatives through which the government of Uganda will provide financial support or any other kind of assistance.
Ms. Ntabazi Harriet also hinted about being a former filmmaker before she joined politics which didn’t work out for her then but she vehemently stressed how important it is to write movies and to be heard as no one will ever remember or know your existence if you are not seen or heard of.
“Borders” is a 15-episode mini-TV series that intricately narrates the lifestyle of an African Jewel Dance Troop as they navigate the daily struggles as artists and individuals. The series is a very linguistic story beautifully told in English, Luganda, and Swahili, offering viewers a diverse cultural glimpse and feel.
