SABC airs Grown Too Quick

Kalumbu Kapisa might not have won any award at the Aljazeera International Documentary film festival last month, but his feature Grown Too Quick is gaining mileage.

The 50-minute film, which was eclipsed by golden award-winning Half a Revolution—a story of Egypt’s uprising—at the prestigious festival in Qatar, screened on South Africa Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) at 9pm on Sunday, captivating hearts of movie fanatics with the agonies of a Blantyre-based child-headed family.

After about 50 minutes on South Africa’s national TV, the gripping human face of orphan hood in Malawi, where 12 out of 100 people are living with the virus that causes Aids, went on to spark a buzz on social networks.

Facebooked Chiza Chiumia on Sunday: “Moved by [the] documentary on SABC 2—Grown Too Quick a story of one Francis Mchoma of Blantyre, Malawi—I would want to meet this young man and learn from his resilience in times of calamity. I thought I had problems!”

The South Africa-based IT specialist later elaborated: “Kalumbu did a good job. I was moved by Mchoma’s strength, I just felt sorry for myself. I would like to get his contacts and learn the outcome.”

In a separate interview, director of the film, likely to feature on Al Jazeera TV, said it has been receiving humbling responses since its premiere at the festival.

“After the documentary was shown, people want to know about Francis and how they can help. I have blankets, food and toiletries that I want to wrap around together and send via bus this week,” he said.

Kapisa, who lives in South Africa, joins Season of a Life maker Shemu Joyah, Manganya Series’ Michael Usi and Ezaius Mkandawire in modernising Malawi’s stunted movie scene.