Malawi’s movie maker in ‘steamy’ scenes

Watch out! Shemu Joyah is coming back on the silver screen with another bang—this time serving subtly steamy scenes in The Last Fishing Boat.

The success story of his award-winning Seasons of a Life debut has created excitement among film lovers. According to the Malawian movie maker, he has spent two years and K16 million (about $64 000) on the upcoming feature, to be released next month.

Shot along Lake Malawi in Mangochi, the film displays a clash between African and Western cultures mirrored through a fight over a black beauty who is the third wife of a resident.

Online magazine, Urban Life, is already abuzz with suggestions that the celebrated director has pushed The Last Fishing Boat into the straits of Censorship Board.

“What one would be looking for is whether it will pass the Censorship Board’s test…the movie might be too raunchy for Malawian audience with sex scenes that would leave some people very offended,” reads urbanlifemw.com.

But Joyah said in an interview that he included “brief glimpses of nudity” to unknot the cultural dilemmas with guidance from the censors.

 “Yes there are elements of sex, but it’s more implied than explicit, but we submitted the film to the Censorship Board. They gave us a shooting permit and we are taking the film back to them for age ratings when it is completed,“ he explained.

Joyah reckons he prefers telling a full story in a natural way to leaving viewers in suspense.

Billed another cream of his brains, The Last Fishing Boat hits a climax when a tourist from the West proposes to a polygamous fisherman’s wife.

The lady plunges headlong into a dilemma when she weighs the promises from the rich visitor and the consequences of betraying her husband.

The cast includes Hope Chisanu, Robert Kalua, Flora Suya, Robert Loughlin, Tereza Miravicova and Ashukile Mwakisulu while the photography crew pools a team from Malawi and Zimbabwe.