Monika Amunyela 

After a six-year hiatus, the Namibia Theatre and Film Awards returned to celebrate the country’s creative talent.

The lively night showcased Namibia’s talent in films such as ‘Speel Aan’ and ‘Naked Spaces’, emerging as some of the major winners.

‘Speel Aan’ won five awards for best female actor (Hazel Hinda), best male actor (Dawie Engelbrecht), best script, best film director (Errol Geingob) and best feature film. 

‘Naked Spaces’ received six awards: best makeup (Eathan Madison), best supporting actor (Rodelio Lewis), best actor (shared by Melgisedeke Nehemia and Odile Gertze), best theatre script and best staged theatre production.The awards were graced by international actor and producer Hakeem Kae-Kazim.

Speaking exclusively to VIBEZ!, Kae-Kazim described the occasion as deeply meaningful. “As a guest of honour, I’m very humbled and honoured to be invited to the Namibian Awards, especially since they haven’t been done for the last six years. And I think it’s a fantastic thing to be able to celebrate the amazing work that’s come out of Namibian theatre and film,” he said.

Kae-Kazim highlighted the resilience and collaboration among African creatives, stressing that they must recognise their ability to compete with other creative industries and keep persevering. 

“We had a pandemic, and people didn’t give up. They doubled down. That’s why there are so many films here now. So, I think that’s a really important lesson,” he said, emphasising the importance of collaboration.

“Understand that there’s an idea of bringing collaboration from the diaspora, with people outside Namibia, other African countries, and maybe find a form of collaboration there to work together and to collaborate on funds, to collaborate on ideas. So that we can have a truly pan-African film industry.”

Kae-Kazim delved further into authentic African storytelling and the responsibility of African creators, stating that we cannot allow African stories to be told by others. 

“We’re responsible for telling truly African stories. There’s a story that’s told by us, for us, with us. That’s truly, from our perspective, truly African stories. Our history needs to be told. Our stories need to be told. Our image needs to be told, from our perspective, by us.”

Reflecting on global audiences, he noted that African stories are being watered down for international audiences, which may seem like a bad idea, but it could be a good way to create understanding of African perspectives and cultures.

Hakeem Kae-Kazim is a Nigerian-born British actor and filmmaker. He is best known for his roles in Hollywood productions such as Hotel Rwanda, The Bible, and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, as well as for his work in African cinema.

-mamunyela@nepc.com.na