Q&A: Hlubi Mboya is back on our screens in ‘I am ALL GIRLS’

In the film “I am ALL GIRLS” starring Hlubi Mboya, Masasa Mbangeni, Mothusi Magano and Erica Wessels, a relentless detective finds common ground with a killer systematically targeting the perpetrators running a powerful child-trafficking ring.

The Citizen got the opportunity to speak to Hlubi Mboya about the film and her badass role as Ntombi.

Q. While making the film did you receive any push back from the industry or the community?

(Director, Donovan Marsh:) It’s obviously super sensitive stuff. People are worried you’re going to exploit their stories, or in some way not do justice to it. We did our research and the world is just very dark. There is a little push back as it is tough to please all parties. This is why this movie is so difficult, because you don’t want to exploit the subject matter, but you do want to raise awareness.

Q. Your role is super intense. How did you prepare yourself mentally and emotionally for the role?

I am just present in what she’s going through. I can’t say to myself “okay today is going to be an emotional day on set, let me prepare for that”. I get to the set and the director says “okay this is what we want,” and I put myself there in that situation. It’s emotionally exhausting, but as I have said a lot of times, I’m a gut actor. I feel it, I cannot learn that.

Q. What do you love the most about your character?

I loved the relationship I had with Jody in the movie. They are two women who both had bad demons and they connected beyond work, which is very important for me. It shows that women take things into their own hands. The characters we both played were a big reflection of who we we are as human beings and as women. I love that. It’s special.

Q. What do you hate the most about your character?

I would do exactly what she did. I wouldn’t have changed a thing.

Q. If you could play any other character in this movie, who would it be?

None.

Q. What was challenging about bringing the script of this movie to life?

(Director, Donovan Marsh:) I knew that the heart of the movie was the relationship between Erica and Ntombi’s characters. It wasn’t really written into the script that much, but I knew that was what I had to bring out. The script is just a blueprint that gives you a suggestion on how things can go and you have to find ways to challenge yourself creatively, to find touch points for the audience to really attach to the film. I was thrilled how their relationship turned out on screen, it was a little challenging getting it right but having said that we found our moments in between the lines.

Q. Besides filming this movie, what else has the Hlubi Mboya been working on?

I love doing advocacy work. I’m a start up as well so that’s really, really tough. In essence its called “piece jobs”. I like it, because I get to give and output different energies, because different energies require different parts of you, so by being a lot of things, it’s just an extension of what I love to do which is to kind of make things real and authentic. Hopefully for upliftment, change and empowerment.