MultiChoice celebrates Namibian women in film

A sparkling selection of the city’s women creators and creatives gathered at MultiChoice Namibia to honour Namibian women in film last week.

Titled ‘EmpowerHer: A Celebration of Namibian Women in Film’, the event invited its trailblazing attendees to wear their most empowering suit to a soirée and film screening of film-maker Hildegard Titus’ ‘Die Rooftog’.

“As the world celebrates International Women’s Month, the film and television industry is revealing itself as a powerful arena of gender transformation and a highly effective vehicle for empowering women,” says MultiChoice Namibia corporate affairs manager Elzita Beukes.

“This is especially the case for Africa where women occupy several leadership roles in this industry. These roles are pivotal as they set the tone for the sector at large, influencing the content being created, as well as the attitudes of the young audiences exposed to the material within the film.”

Created as part of MultiChoice Namibia’s local content project ‘Ombura’, ‘Die Rooftog’ was written and directed by Titus and produced by a women-led team. The film is set in the world of low level crime and Windhoek’s salons, and is now streaming on Showmax alongside a number of other Ombura and Project Mukorob films.

“Showmax, as Africa’s leading streaming platform, is well positioned to accelerate actions even further for women and to continue building a creative industry where women can be free to express themselves, their view of the continent and their lived experience,” says Beukes.

“As of 14 March, all the Ombura films will be screening on Showmax. You can enjoy eight fresh Namibian productions anywhere and anytime. Providing more Namibian content on Showmax is a huge milestone for us,” she says.

“This means we are able to take Namibian stories even further, especially across the continent and to greater heights. I’m excited about this opportunity for Namibian films and for the Namibian industry and how we can amplify the talent and drive of Namibian women film-makers to accelerate gender empowerment.”

Viewers are also encouraged to join the Showmax WhatsApp Channel to keep up with what’s hot, new or trending on the streaming platform.

Screened to resounding laughter and applause at MultiChoice Namibia’s recent ‘EmpowerHer’ event, ‘Die Rooftog’ stars Tjiurimo Kandjii, Roger Rafael, Edo Dice Lutete, Abigail Goliath, Amy-Leigh Hammond, Joyce Tjizu, Oscar Shilongo, Lize Ehlers and Mark Kariahuua.

As someone who grew up watching DStv, Titus is thrilled to have her first film showcased on the platform and even more so to have experienced the film with a women audience.

“It felt really great watching the film with a woman audience because that is ultimately who I made the film for,” says Titus.

“The salon world is such an integral part of so many women’s lives and experiences. And by making it the centre of the film world, I think it allowed a lot of women to relate and see themselves, but also opened a window to those who aren’t familiar with the world,” says Titus.

Considering the overwhelmingly positive response to the film, Titus says she feels encouraged.

“I think as an artist you will always be so self-critical of your work and wish you did something different. But getting to watch ‘Die Rooftog’ with a brand new audience who are seeing the film for the first time completely changes everything for me. It’s as though I got to see the film for the first time as well through their eyes,” Titus says.

“It also really emphasised to me the importance of telling our stories because you never know who will relate or see themselves in that story too.”

– martha@namibian.com.na; Martha Mukaiwa on Twitter and Instagram; marthamukaiwa.com