Motswana-directed drama screened at European film fest
Spira Tlhankane | Friday September 7, 2018 13:29
The short film was part of the European Film Festival being showcased for the first time in Botswana from August 31 to September 1, 2018.
The Awakened Spirit (2016) is a 14-minute drama directed by Sejoe, starring Pauline Kgwarapi and Gaolapi Basuhi. It was one amongst other films the two organisations recently screened.
The film is a universal story of self-discovery set on the backdrop of cultural Botswana, its natural beauty, and its people. It tells the story of Segametsi (the lead character) who has to revisit the traditional world of her culture to answer the question that will lead to her self-discovery.
The Awakened Spirit is Sejoe’s directorial debut, a fulfilment of a lifelong dream to become a writer/director and all-round filmmaker.
The film made the selection at the Short Film Corner at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival, making it the first film from Botswana to showcase at the Cannes Film Festival.
Tumie Sejoe is a filmmaker based in and from Botswana with 10 years’ experience in the film and television industry in both local and international productions. Her background includes completing a mentorship programme at the BBC headquarters in London, UK (which included directing a 10-minute short film called Get Reak Beeb.
Sejoe was also a third assistant director (on set) on the production of The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency Television Series.
She was also a second assistant director on the ground breaking local production Morwalela, produced by South African Production traffic on behalf of PSI Botswana.
She recently completed working on the feature film A United Kingdom starring David Oyelowo, Rosamund Pike and Terry Pheto, as the third assistant director.
The film festival this time decided to highlight the work of women in filmmaking during the 2018 edition of the European Film Festival of Gaborone.
The festival presented the original work of six different women directors who are sharing their vision of the world.
Other films included A Second Chance by Susanne Bier, Suffragette by Sarah Gavron and The Secret of Kells by Nora Twomey and Tomm Moore.