WINDHOEK– Nominated for five categories, Tjitji the Himba Girl, is one of the films dominating nominations for the 2014 Theatre and Film Awards taking place tomorrow at the National Theatre of Namibia (NTN).
Tjitji an ambitious learner, has secret dreams of being the next famous ‘Talk Show Host’. However, Tjitji’s mother and father live dutifully, in the time-honoured Ovahimba tradition. Every weekend she returns home to her village, but is concerned that Ovahimba customs and practices, relating to young girls her age, will jeopardise her personal dreams. She soon learns that her father, as is the custom, is in the process of arranging for her marriage to a young Omuhimba man, Muasahepi. Tjitji is upset that she’s expected to follow her parents’ wishes about her future and has to make a decision. What should she do, defy her culture to follow her dreams?
According to Oshosheni Hiveluah who is nominated in the Best Director category, Tjitji the Himba Girl was such an inspiring and bold screenplay to read. “It was the opportunity to tell a story within an interesting Namibian tribal group that keep very much to themselve . I have always been very fascinated by Himba culture and their unpretentious way of life. In many ways I totally understand what Tjitji was going through,” says Hivelauh.
She adds asking what one does with her/his dreams that don’t seem to fit into the cultural and traditional set up within which one is born and within which one exists? “I wanted to tell a story about a young girl’s courage and her fight for her dreams,” she affirms adding that it was very important and vital for them not to portray some of the cultural aspects as a negative thing, hence the inclusion of funny and light and hopefully inspiring moments in the film. “ I felt it important to portray Tjitji as a person we can all relate to, who laughs and gets angry and just because she is a Himba girl, it doesn’t mean she doesn’t have dreams and ambitions too. We wanted Tjitji to be a Himba girl heroine, a young girl, who stands up for what she believes in without defying and insulting the culture that has nurtured her into the young woman she has become.
Tjitji the Himba Girl is nominated in Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Music Score, Best Cinematography, Best Director and Best Narrative Film taking a second position after “Evrything Happen for a Reason” with seven nominations.