Bandleng premiers at Maitisong

MONKAGEDI GAOTLHOBOGWE
Staff Writer | Thursday August 12, 2010 00:00

Johnson Otlaadisa, the  director and producer of the 1 hour 20 minutes comedy says his mission is to show the local community that the filmmakers in Botswana have come of age and are able to produce  high quality movie entertainment.

The situational comedy was shot in Lobatse and uses humour to show the hassles of unemployed youths at Peleng, although the producer says it is far from being a political comedy.  'It is laughter every single second.  The bottomline is to have fun just to laugh,' he said.

Otlaadisa's comedy uses  a number of talented theatre players in Botswana amongst them Thato Kgosidintsi a two-time BOTA/DAC Drama Competitions Best Actor Award Winner for 2008 and 2009, and Onyana Kegomoditswe Sakarea, a 2009 BOTA/DAC Drama Competitions Best Supporting Actress Award Winner.

Also featuring in the film is Tlholego Chaba, an experienced and versatile local actor, with more than 15 years in the acting business.  He was discovered and nurtured under the then popular Practitioners of African Theatre.

Godiraone Mhula, who boasts of over 13 years of experience as an actor and comedian, also plays a role in the film.  He is a product of Reetsanang Association of Drama Groups.

Although the production is rich with raw talent none of them has ever had the chance to appear on screen before.

Otlaadisa says his comedy is all about grooming actors and actresses in Botswana and exporting them to Africa and the World. 'It's a from-Woodhall-to-Hollywood type mission... When we are dead and long buried, we want generations after us to know we were here!'

He says they will be launching the comedy in Lobatse end of this month and are still looking for funds to take the comedy to other towns.

Otlaadisa says they also have invited producers of productions such as Re Bina Mmogo, Thokolosi, Morwalela, Radijo, Ntso le Toki, and other local producers to the Saturday event, which he says will, however, showcase only 25 minutes of the comedy.