On the 1st of December 2009, there was a meeting between two opposing parts though with the same interest, and that is the National Arts Council of Tanzania (BASATA) and Tanzania Film Federation (TAFF) as BASATA refuses to lend a registration to TAFF as a federation that shall oversee the state of affairs and progress of film industry in Tanzania. Again this created two groups of filmmakers within the same country, those who were in support of TAFF and those who teamed up with the BASATA.
The controversy went on for months later, but not until Saturday, September 18th 2010, whereby TAFF was officially launched at Leaders Club. The inauguration process was fairly attended by most of the stakeholders, filmmakers, producers, analysts and critics and the government officials such as the BASATA General Secretary, Mr. Gonche Materego. The newly elected President of the federation, Mr. Simon Mwakifamba delivered a speech that outlined a number of opportunities, issues and challenges attached to the filmmaking industry and explained how TAFF is geared up to embark upon them.
As one of the attendee and the stakeholder, realizing the atmosphere whereby when you look into the faces of many of us what you see is hope and determination, I kept asking myself is TAFF going to live up to people’s expectations, dreams and ambitions out of the Tanzanian Film Industry. What is it that they should revisit and provide a different framework, vision and deliverance? That’s when I realized that I do have few concerns.
First, It seems the industry isn’t doing very well as one might expect it to. Basing on the analysis and criticisms, it appears to me that we are lacking or we do have inactive supervisory boards over the different matters pertaining to this industry. To complicate the situation, BASATA, alone, is summoned to address those various issues. The incidence of TAFF into this industry comes at the moment that such sort of organization is probably highly needed. The industry needs a federation which if it is well defined; it is supposed to be a similarly organized union of societies, associations, trade unions etc in order to retain control of internal matters but some are left to be controlled by the government. That’s what to most extent; this federation is trying to embrace if one studies the nature of the organization of this federation whereby it contains within it the associations of scriptwriters, location managers, directors and so forth. Despite having these associations, the Tanzania film board, Copyright Society of Tanzania (COSOTA), Tanzania Film Censorship Board to mention a few should be awakened to the situation that is prevailing at the moment as far as filmmaking is concerned. And therefore TAFF should work hand in hand with these organs.
Secondly, TAFF is supposed to make sure that the monolithic enterprises rationalized as major Distribution Companies have their investments coincide with the demands of the production of the particular film. If at all the average cost of producing and marketing a Hollywood film is now more than $ 60 Million, on serious note, we shouldn’t be spending less than 30 Million throughout the process of making at least one movie. If we are spending 5 to ten million what is the profit then? If Tanzania is hosting over 40 million people whereby approximately one third are watching movies via whatever mechanism, the profit that is realized can be projected to overrun the production costs per millions.
Nevertheless the condition that to have your film distributed by these companies, the film should contain at least a popular star is a condition that is drifting the industry ashore. My observation is that if at all the story of the film entails the need of the different cast apart from the well known – popular stars who are being used as commercial motives, then there should be a breach to such endeavor. The other side of the story means we are under utilizing the talents enclosed within our environment. During the launch, was the day that I witnessed a large group of people falling into different age categories turning up to such an event, needless I say that they all aspire to showcase their potentials in different aspects of filmmaking. These are untapped potentials, and the industry may not give room for them because of the colossal distributors and their requisites of business. There should be a remedy to this situation in the nearby future, and I suppose that TAFF is bearing this in mind.
If I continue the other keynote that can help navigate and polish a different impression as far the film industry in Tanzania is concerned is that of film authorship. Despite the fact that this is not a well understood aspect yet, but it is impacting in our industry. The author of a film is the director, in recent times everybody wants to become a director. The gurus who were there at the very beginning are still entertaining us with the same concepts and marks of their factual lives are to be observed in the films they are making even after eight to ten years. The fact that we lack trained, open minded and well informed directors who can determinedly oversee the productions of these locally made films is a fact that shall replenish the industry very soon. Nevertheless the directors are lacking original and critical ideas of their times. TAFF needs to create sorts of regulations to control whoever wants to join the industry as a director, if he or she is well vested to harmonize and ensemble elements that will make films with impacts in our context.
The following may annoy some of us, but it is one of the lethal weapons that we are holding without noticing their magnitude of destruction. This is none other than knowledge and level of education. The predisposition that art is talent and it doesn’t need a formal education is a homicide to the art industry in Tanzania. Film industry is also one of them. People who are engaged with the industry are not bothered not only to learn more and expand their horizons but also they are not bothered to read as a way that it can add up to their ability to comprehend different matters concerning film production. For instance, for actors to play a certain role means to be someone else, which means also that the director, should work hard with the actor to make sure that the actor becomes the person he/she is portraying. This process depends upon the actors readiness skills to understand what director is saying and how much he/she is able to throw the director’s ideas at the back of his/her brain. This is more or less like we are in a class and teacher is teaching, and to understand him you need to have a brain that can comprehend what is being said, the complexity keeps on changing as one excels through the world of academics. When it comes to the fact that most of the actors have only reached form four or less, it leaves a question on how they can grasp significantly what is being tailored for them by the screenwriter and the director there after for them to portray. Or the other question will be what the educational level of the directors is? Sorry I know this irritates, but we have to face it. The Kenyans and The Ugandans are coming, they are not PhDs type but they read! So shall we? TAFF promote the habit of reading to nurture our brains as artists.
We are experiencing the cons and pros of digital technology especially in terms of piracy and illegal distribution of films over the internet. However, I am still perplexed that, will there be a moment that our film industry shall cross the threshold to experience a place in the global dimensions? If at all, according to media researchers, the American film industry collects more than 80% of the world’s film revenues although it produces only around 15% of the world’s films, is there a chance that we are going to make films that contributes some percentages in the remaining 85% of the world’s films or we shall end up contributing to that percentage at the local level only. This needs vision of both filmmakers in Tanzania and the stakeholders so is the responsible government organs.
The existing, emerging and newly established film production companies needs to be associated and have a common goal. There should be one formula/model designated to the making of their films that is embraced by both companies. Hollywood film industry has its own narrative – dramatic model dedicated to the making of their films. The model is tracked upon by major and minor studios of productions such as Paramount pictures, Sony pictures, Warner Bros, Disney, 20th Century Fox, Universal, Dreamworks and many others to mention a few. Can we experience the same, now that we are associated under TAFF?
I always watch films to the last credit rolling up at the end of film so as to appreciate people who have played even a flat role or have contributed to the making of programs even as grips, and I have been doing the same to our locally made films. I am not satisfied with a number of names and the credits that are being given are not diverse enough to say that the film was produced sufficiently and effectively with a crew. What I usually see is the repetition of the same names to different responsibilities to production. TAFF please do something; let these people understand that filmmaking is crew – collaborative work that can take up to a 1000 people.
Lastly, and to conclude, There is also a need to demystify our systems of distributions and marketing windows. Recently we have witnessed a theatrical premier at century cinema of one the films made by Pilipili Entertainment. Nevertheless East Africa Television (EATV) has given a slot showing locally made films. There is a need to exploit the domestic theatrical releases unfolding not only in Dar es Salaam but also in other regions and the East Africa at large, let have an opportunity to get into DRC, Burundi, Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda etc before we come back to duplicate copies for home media users.
The discussion I pose above jog across issues that are recently hampering the industry. However with the Tanzania Film Federation (TAFF), I may be indebted to say we might be on our way to the newly – well organized world of professional filmmakers and their practices for the interests of the Tanzanian people engaged with it and the country at large.
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