By Tunomukwathi Asino
WINDHOEK – First National Bank (FNB) on Thursday donated N$300 000 towards the production costs, launch and distribution of the film Paths to Freedom.
Paths to Freedom covers an important period in Namibia’s history – the path to national consciousness and formation.
Produced by On Land Productions the film is centred around the life stories of an army of peasants and migrant labourers who started the guerrilla war against South African rule at Omugulugombashe in northern Namibia.
The media got a sneak preview of the film, while the launch and screening will be held on 27 July from 15:30 at the National Theatre of Namibia
Paths to Freedom tells of how in the 1960’s the nationalist movement Swapo was formed. The film is told against the background of German colonization, the United Nations’ responsibility for Namibia and the winds of change that swept across Africa in the 1950’s and 1960’s. The film tells how Namibians broke the chain of slavery in their own country to eventually take up arms against South Africa.
The production and launch of Paths to Freedom were made possible by investments from On Land Productions and through a partnership of the Embassy of Finland, Ministry of Veteran Affairs, First National Bank of Namibia, Namibian Broadcasting Corporation, the Namibian Film Commission, the National Archives of Namibia and the Carl Schlettwein Foundation in Basle, Switzerland.
A total of 1 300 copies of the DVD will be distributed for free to schools, museums, multipurpose centres and educational institutions nationwide.