A group of scholars from Thokoza in Ekurhuleni was inspired to create a horror film after visiting Joburg’s Windybrow Arts Centre.
“We were inspired by the theatre at Windybrow that’s no longer working because it was vandalised. We had a tour inside it, and while there, we thought of ghosts and in those horror movies, it was like an animal would jump out,” high school learner Tadiwa Mkono told The Citizen.
Their horror film Thando was screened in September. Mkono was part of the crew of kids who shot the film, working behind the scenes as a cameraman.
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Of Soul and Joy
Mkono is part of the group of youngsters from the Thokoza-based Of Soul and Joy photography programme who participated in several workshops with the film education organisation, CinemaTAKE, where they were mentored and taught filmmaking skills to ultimately provide a platform for creative expression and foster positive community impact.
Mkono said it took them about eight months to make the film together.
He said that shooting the film was a great experience, but it had its challenges.
“It was also challenging because we had to repeat many things, trying to get one thing. We also had to write a lot, just to get to this idea of the horror film.”
The young storytellers utilised the horror genre to explore complex issues, such as isolation, group dynamics, and identity, in township life, transforming personal and social realities into creative, fictional expressions.
This year, CinemaTAKE expanded its creative scope by transitioning from documentary filmmaking to fiction and horror cinema, offering young filmmakers in Thokoza the opportunity to experiment with a new cinematic language.
In partnership with Of Soul and Joy and the Windybrow Theatre, they guide participants through the art of crafting a short horror film that reflects this year’s CCAJ theme.
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Thando in France
Thando premiered at the Cinéma Cent Ans De Jeunesse (CCAJ) film festival in Paris under the theme “Individual, Group, Community.”
This experience was featured on French National Television through TV5Monde.
“I felt so emotional,” Mkono said about the film being screened in France.
“Firstly, you’d think that the age you are, I’m too young to showcase such work abroad…It makes me feel happy and at the same time honoured,” said the 17-year-old.
“Now I think I’ve made up my mind… Now I’m sure I want to be in the art industry.”
He joined Of Soul and Joy in 2022.
“That’s where I learnt storytelling and taking photos. Not just great photos, but photos that have meaning.”
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