Malawian theatre is heading for the big screen this December with ANEMWE, a new Chichewa film bringing together seasoned theatre performers and a distinctly local storytelling style.
The film is expected to be released in December, offering audiences a production that blends theatre experience, Chichewa storytelling and carefully crafted visuals.
ANEMWE features actors with backgrounds in some of Malawi’s recognised theatre and radio productions, including MBC’s Theatre of the Air and Stories in Action, Wakhumbata Ensemble Theatre, CDC’s Mbaliyanga, Fupa Lokakamiza of the Centre for Solutions Journalism and The Story Workshop, as well as Nanzikambe.
Actor and filmmaker Arthur Chokhotho says the production is designed to make audiences connect with characters and their emotions rather than focus on judging individual performances.
“We don’t cite lines, but we are acting the lines in the script,” Chokhotho says.
He says a mature production should leave audiences discussing the characters, emotions and story instead of debating which actor performed best.
Chokhotho says colour also plays an important role in the film’s visual storytelling, particularly in communicating emotion.
ANEMWE will be presented in Chichewa with English subtitles, keeping the story rooted in Malawian culture while making it accessible to a wider audience.
The filmmakers are already giving audiences a glimpse of what to expect through Blantyre Knights, one of the film’s soundtracks currently featured on MBC’s urban music programme Touching Base.
The song deliberately explores the rough side of street life portrayed in ANEMWE, offering a taste of the film without revealing the wider story.
The filmmakers have also prepared promotional visualisers for the soundtracks to give prospective viewers an early feel of the film’s artistic direction.
With its December release approaching, ANEMWE is positioning itself as a production that could give Malawi’s growing film industry a different flavour by bringing the discipline and emotional depth of theatre to cinema.
