Lillian Roberts of Victoria Girls’ High School has been selected to take part in the Eastern Cape inter-school film-making competition, Nab’Ubomi (This is Life).
Lillian Roberts of Victoria Girls’ High School has been selected to take part in the Eastern Cape inter-school film-making competition, Nab’Ubomi (This is Life).
Fifteen screenplays have been selected written by youngsters from schools around the province for the competition. Roberts, a Grade 10 learner is surprised how far she has come in the competition.
“I am excited and surprised as this was homework where we had to do it for marks,” she said. Her script is entitled The Lilies and explores homosexuality among teens.
It is about a girl who falls in love with another girl who is openly gay and is thus put in a position where she has to choose between her friends and her girl.
“I am from Durban and I find Grahamstown to be quite conservative, which is why I chose this topic, to tackle this issue,” she says.
This competition could not have come at a better time for Roberts as she is interested in studying film after she matriculates.
She also has a soft spot for music and plays the guitar and piano. “I have always been interested in the music industry so I would love go to Rhodes University and study film with a sound element,” she said.
The theme for the 2010 competition is “Welcome to My World” and the entire project is captured by a behind- the-scenes film crew.
The selected writers from various South African schools were invited to attend a film camp last month in Cintsa, near East London.
Each learner had to choose a crew to assist in roles such as producer, camera, sound and lighting. They then returned to school to cast the actors, select locations, source props and costumes and rehearse the scenes.
Roberts said they had to pitch their script ideas at the camp which was scary as it was done in front of huge cameras recording the pitch.
The project was previously broadcast on SABC1 as a 13 part series last year and aims to assist the youth in discovering and developing their talents for future careers, says Nab’Ubomi Project director and producer, Bryony Roughton.
Developed and run by Mandela Bay Pictures in Port Elizabeth, the initiative is linked to the provincial Department of Education, the National Film and Video Foundation, South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) since 2007 and more recently, SABC Education, as the project partners.
Roughton said that they expect the 2010 project will also be shown on SABC1 some time next year. “Filming is scheduled for late August and the completed films will be screened at all participating schools in October,” Roughton said.
Senior Education Specialist for English of the District Education Office, Vuyokazi Makubalo said she would love more schools to take this project seriously and not to miss any opportunities.
“In my time as a learner, we had no opportunities like this. Last year, Nombulelo High School took part in the project, where it was shown on TV and their DVD will also be taken to Germany,” Makubalo said.
According to Roughton, a number of past writers and crew have gone on to study film and television after taking part in the project.
“Some are on fully sponsored courses in Johannesburg while others have used their films to gain access to internship programmes in the industry.
So it has opened doors for those who’ve been involved,” she said. Roughton added that the project assists in literacy and language development, which is noticeable in areas where English is a second language. Benefits are also evident in educational, leadership, creative and social development.
