Film & Theatre

“There is nothing that I love more than being behind the camera as a film director and also facing the challenges that come with directing movies.”

Those were the words of an award-winning film maker, Maanda Ntsandeni-Maumela, who had switched from print and radio journalism to film making.

“I have made several films; Shouting Spirits was my very first film when I was in my last year in Monash,” said the resident of Thohoyandou Block F. “It was a very important film for me, because, at the very least, I managed to raise funds outside of varsity to make that piece.”

To better place himself as a film maker, Ntsandeni-Maumela enrolled at Newtown Film and Television School and later at Monash University’s film and television unit.

“Since I come from a family of storytellers, it’s not difficult to see why I chose to pursue the career path I have grown to love so much,” he said.

This producer also shot a pivotal documentary, Legends of the Lake (a tale of Lake Fundudzi), which did very well in Europe for broadcasters, and that was his second film.

“What was important was that I produced that film myself,” he said. “To this very end,Legends of the Lake remains my favourite film, and what hurts me the most is that the people for whom I made that film have never watched it. It’s gone and that’s it, so you learn some very important lessons about the industry and that has made me a very strong person.”

Last year, he made headlines with his documentary, Parole Camp, which won a World View prize at the Durban International Film Festival and became the most watched and requested film at the Tri-Continental Human Rights Film Festival.

“When young people send me emails thanking me for making such a film, I have nothing but humility and hope that we can still turn the tide against drugs and crime in this country,” he said. “The short version of this film was made for Aljazeera English, and like the longer version, it received praises from all over the world. Parole Camp is a tale of youth, drugs and crime, an off-the-wall piece which was also a tribute to my late friend who never got a second chance in life.”

Maanda Ntsandeni-Maumela is a film maker whose creative juices are still fresh and flowing with ease.