WINDHOEK- MultiChoice Africa announced last week that the highly acclaimed documentary, Hafeni: The Man from Mondesa aired yesterday on DStv’s channel 409. It especially fills MultiChoice with pride, as it is a local Namibian production made by Namibians, telling a story that will resonate with viewers across Africa.
Hafeni: The Man from Mondesa was produced for CGTN Africa & Fireworx Media as part of the Faces of Africa series. It documents the story of Heinrich Hafeni, a man who found his unique niche in Namibia’s coastal tourism sector. His cultural tours introduce visitors from all over the world to life in the township of Mondesa, the heartbeat of Swakopmund, as Hafeni refers to the community. The documentary was made by local filmmaker, Tim Huebschle and a very talented pool of passionate Namibian filmmakers.
Heinrich Hafeni said of the airing of the documentary; “It’s both amazing and humbling to know that my story, so expressively captured by Tim and his team aired on DStv to be seen by a large pan-African audience. My story may be a Namibian one, but I believe it will resonate with people across Africa as a story of community, passion, perseverance and the need to survive. I just hope people will enjoy it.”
Huebschle, born in Germany and raised in Namibia, has been making films and documentaries for years and having this documentary aired on DStv, is a testament to the dedication to his craft as well as his ability to see, translate and harness stories into fascinating film projects such as Hafeni: The Man from Mondesa.
Tim Huebschle said “Hafeni: The Man of Mondesa, is the second Faces of Africa documentary I’ve made in the last two years. It’s very cool to work in an established format such as the Faces of Africa series. You deliver a story according to specs from the TV station. But at the same time, you’re telling a story, a Namibian story, about an individual in their environment. At the end of the day, the half-hour documentary is broadcast Africa wide. These opportunities are golden for us Namibian filmmakers. We get to hone our skills as storytellers and have a big audience across the continent.”
Roger Gertze, Managing Director for MultiChoice Namibia added, “in line with our mission to deliver value to our Namibian customers by making great entertainment more accessible, we are delighted that Hafeni: The Man from Mondesa aired on DStv this past weekend, and to gain exposure for our local filmmakers in the process. Beyond its setting, Namibia has wonderful stories to tell that resonates with our viewers in the country and beyond its borders. As Africa’s most-loved storyteller, MultiChoice wants to play a positive role in the entertainment industry by providing a platform and leveraging the best technology for these stories to be told.”
One of the executive
producers of the documentary is Neil Brandt, a leading African and international industry expert. Brandt, apart from being the executive producer on this documentary also recently presented a Masterclass – Financing Productions and Distribution, which forms part of the multi-tiered MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF) programme. This is a series of industry-led workshops that upskill and empower established professionals across Africa’s film and TV industries. MTF is a creating shared-value initiative that provides a platform for creative professionals to develop their talent and engage with one another through their shared passions.
The documentary Hafeni: The man from Mondesa aired on DStv for a broad pan-African audience yesterday at 19h30 and is now available to watch on DStv.