Sowing Seeds set for Lilongwe premiere
Filmmaker Cathreen Mlenga will tomorrow premiere her debut movie Sowing Seeds at Golden Peacock in Lilongwe.
The actress-cum-filmmaker has made her directorial debut in the movie she said is designed to impact social and behaviour change, especially among adolescents.
The 25-year-old said the film was inspired by an incident which happened to her friend who died while giving birth.
Mlenga has also attributed the influence of Chief Kachindamoto, who is widely applauded for being a champion in ending child marriages, as an inspiration in the production of her movie.
“The ultimate goal is to create female heroines inspired by real life and relatable Malawian stories instead of fiction. This movie aims at positively influencing mindset change and promote efforts in social communication behaviour change,” she said.
The film centres on the life of Nthanda, who is impregnated by her teenage boyfriend Jay. The two were eventually forced into an early marriage, a situation which led them to drop out of school.
After sustaining a period of struggles, the two finally pull themselves out of their misery because of their untiring efforts to turn their initial plight into a success story.
The film features established names from the local film industry such as Edwin Chonde, Chisomo Kamanga, Binuel Phale, Ian Chisekula and poet-cum-actor Beatus Msamange.
The producer said the premiere will be simple and everything will take place within two-and-a-half hours.
Dancehall artist Saint will perform as well as Proface. Filmmakers Association of Malawi president Gift Sukez Sukali will be a guest of honour.
Mlenga said producing her first movie has been a learning experience: “It was a wonderful experience. I have learnt a lot. It was not an easy task. You need to go through different processes and thanks to the cast that had made it easy for me because of their experience.”
She said she is planning to have another premiere in the cities of Blantyre and Zomba. Apart from the premieres, the producer said the film will also be showcased in national and community secondary schools.
“The showcases will be accompanied by comprehensive sexual reproductive health information and care talks. We will conduct sessions on mental health, career guidance, counselling and try to connect young people to like-minded change makers,” said Mlenga.
