Ugandan Filmmaker James King Bagyenzi has urged fellow film directors to desist from telling Ugandan stories in a western manner saying this only cripples home stories.
In an interview with Olive on the Fatboy show, Bagyenzi expressed dismay over how often Ugandan film directors use the American lifestyle to tell African stories!
“For instance in our storytelling, you’ll see a boy trying to woo a girl while using chocolates and flowers which are completely western and away from our traditions," he said.
Bagyenzi argued that in such a case, traditional ways would suffice citing Karamojong traditional wooing which entails wrestling matches before one is granted an opportunity to marry a girl. His sentiment is that filmmakers should go back to telling stories that depict the African culture and traditions which is a more authentic perspective and would go a long way in selling Ugandan film.
When asked about the probable cause for the amateurish acting portrayed in Ugandan films, Bagyenzi says that Ugandan actors and actresses are usually inclined to theater drama acting that they try to convey in movies yet acting for film is supposed to be natural.
He advised that people acting should utilize internet resources available to them in addition to attending film school. He also advised actors to welcome constructive criticism from audiences.
James King Bagyenzi is a Writer, Actor, Producer and Film director that has worked on film projects such as ‘City of Dust,’ ‘Prodigal Father,’ ‘Forbidden Fruit,’ ‘Final test’ and ‘Crumpled flower.’
To listen to the full segment, visit the RX Radio podcast Library.
The Fatboy show is hosted by James Onen aka Fatboy and Olive Najjuma every weekday from 6 am to 10 am on RX Radio.
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