Promise Fulfilled: Young Gambians Showing Seriousness Into Acting
The young movie group is working forth the growth of Gambia’s budding movie industry.
Modou Lamin Sowe, CEO Young Stars Movie Production and actor. Photo taken from his Facebook timeline.
Last year, a youth-led movie production team promised Gambians a movie this year, 2020.
The movie group comprising young talented Gambians called themselves the Young Stars Movie Production.
They challenged themselves while premiering two of their movies The Twist and The Shadows Of Our Culture, to make a movie which they have fulfilled.
Last Friday, the movie team premiered the movie titled Who To Blame at a local hotel in Kololi.
The movie group intends to manifest to Gambians how serious they are in the movie industry of the country.
Who To Blame is written and directed by Modou Lamin Sowe, an actor and the Chief Executive Officer of Young Stars Movie Production.
The story is about keeping secrets that led to so many deaths, disappointment, and betrayals, which led to bad endings.
Lamin B. Barra, actor in the movie and also the spokesperson of the production group, said the movie is set in two villages, one of the villages has a king and the other a chief.
“The greed of power was also featured in the movie,” he said.
Some of the cast of the movie, including Lamin Barra at the far right. Some of the actors in the movie, including Lamin Barra at the far right. Photo Credit Lamin Barra
Barra said that the movie title is set for people to answer who to blame for all the mishaps and bad endings caused be keeping secrets
About 30 or so played roles in the movie and other scenes featured villagers where the movie was filmed.
The turnout at the premiering was a success with hundreds of people gracing the occasion.
The support shown was felt by the young movie production team, according to Barra.
In fact, some people did not appear at the premier night but they bought tickets, Barra told Fangbondi.
“Even though they don’t come there, they buy tickets to show patronization,” he said.
The turnout has encouraged the team for greater production ahead.
Barra, with a chilling voice, said they are just starting and Gambians should anticipate better and more as they show support to them.
Who To Blame is the third movie they have produced and premiered thus far.
“This is what we want. We have already got what we want from Gambians. That is, they are ready to support us because we have seen people pledging money for us, to support us,” he said.
The audience that went to the premiering night, Photo credit: Lamin Barra
Before, support from the public was lacking. But Barra is gladdened by the turnout and he is optimistic that the narrative will no longer be the same.
Part of their future plan is to provide the movie to Gambians, especially those who could not attend the premiering to watch it.
“It {the movie} would be sold in flash drives very soon,” he said.
Barra said they are ready to partner with any movie production or filmmaker in the country in a bit to build a strong movie industry in The Gambia.
