Hlatshwayo Media, a production company based in Riverpark, Alexandra, and co-owned by Pule Hlatshwayo and Nonhlanhla Tshabalala, hopes to produce a film that it will send to the Cannes Film Festival in France later this year.
The film entitled Thabo, which means joy, is written by Hlatshwayo, while Tshabalala is an executive producer. Hlatshwayo and Tshabalala will co-fund the production of the movie.
The cast of the movie has already been secured but at the time of going to press, the producers were still looking for a leading lady aged between 30 and 35 who can sing.
“We also have a desire to develop local talent and we shall be engaging the media at a later stage on this matter,” Tshabalala said.
Filming begins on 14 February. The film narrates the story of a struggle veteran, trapped in his past, until he finds love and tastes freedom for the first time. Moses, the main character in the film, was a dedicated and popular comrade during the days of the state of emergency.
“We meet him today living in a reservoir on the outskirts of Alex. He’s known to be mad. He has a black flag hoisted and says he’s waiting for the ‘Black Messiah’.
His life is routine until he opens up to a woman he secretly loves… he realises the ‘Messiah’ is not coming and his love for Meisie makes him see he needs to rescue himself from this situation,” said Tshabalala.
