Psalms' debut short film premieres at Alliance Française
Laone Choeunyane | Wednesday May 13, 2026 06:00
The intimate screening showcased an emotionally charged story centred on a young couple navigating the collapse of their relationship.
Through tense exchanges and understated performances, With U explores love, resentment, miscommunication, and the tendency for both partners to see themselves as victims in a failing relationship.
Visually, the film stood out for its rich cinematography and warm golden colour grading, giving it the nostalgic feel of a vintage Polaroid.
Psalms explained that the aesthetic was intentionally inspired by Botswana in the 1960s and 1970s; a transformative period in the country’s history that continues to fascinate him.
“I am really obsessed with just who we are as a people,” he said after the screening. The filmmaker stressed his desire to tell authentic local stories rooted in Botswana’s identity and lived experiences.
“I am really focused on the narratives that we have here right now and just exploring them and hopefully inspiring people to also do the same. Just focus on Botswana because that’s all we have,” he added.
The screening was warmly received, with audience members praising both the film’s emotional honesty and its distinctive visual style grounded in local history and identity.
Psalms also teased his upcoming project, a crime drama titled Sa Madi, which he says will place an even stronger focus on Botswana’s cultural heritage and the modern male experience.
“The fact that a lot of men are disconnected from their cultural heritage, from who they are, to the point where they don’t even know which tribe they are from,” he said, explaining one of the themes the film will explore.
With With U, Bomolemo delivers a confident debut that blends emotional intimacy with a strong sense of place and identity, signalling the rise of a new generation of Botswana filmmakers committed to telling local stories in their own terms.