Namibian short films to be screened in UK

Four short films by Namibian filmmakers are to be screened in London on December 12. The non-profit organisation AfricAvenir Windhoek and United Kingdom-based Friends of Namibia have teamed up to present the films before a question-and-answer session by film critic and director of AfricAvenir Windhoek Hans-Christian Mahnke. The four films, all produced in 2012, represent some challenges and trends facing Namibian society today. They are ‘My Beautiful Nightmare’ by Perivi Katjavivi, ‘Dead River’ by Tim Huebschle, ‘100 Bucks’ by Oshosheni Hiveluah, and ‘Try’ by Joel Haikali. ‘My Beautiful Nightmare’ is a film about a young woman bruised by the city. She spends her evenings prostituting herself on the streets of Windhoek. Best Actress Award But when a client roughs her up, the experience leaves her shaken and forces her to rethink what she’s doing and how far she has come from the sweet little girl she used to be. The film won the Best Actress award at the 2012 Namibia Film and Theatre Awards. It was also awarded the Radwan El-Kashef Independent Shaba Foundation Award at the second Luxor African Film Festival 2013 ‘100 Bucks’ is an urban story of the journey of a N$100 note that passes through different hands. The note’s journey gives a brief insight into the lives of different characters that weave in and out of each other’s lives and the daily struggles they face. Audience Choice Award The film won the Audience Choice Award at the 2012 Namibia Film and Theatre Awards. ‘Try’ is 24 minutes long and was released last year. It portrays a series of events and circumstances that connect people from completely different backgrounds. ‘Try’ is a fast-paced, multiple-narrative drama about love, friendship, family, loyalty, revenge and the serendipity of life unfolding in the heart of Windhoek. At the 2012 Namibia Film and Theatre Awards, the film won awards for Best Director, Best Production Design, Best Screenplay and Best Film.