NYASALAND
There is a hyena terrorising the village and it is a human being.
Nyasaland- Tales of the hyena. a film by Joyce Mhango chavula.
Coming from a theatre background I never imagined that one day I would be called an award winning film maker.Inspired by a few people and operating in a country that really has no strong film background, the journey has been quite adventurous and so fulfilling as I strive to be one of the pioneers of the film industry in Malawi.
I have always been so passionate about the girl child and women hence all of my films are about and for women empowerment and in Nyasaland I continue to amplify the voices of women and girls.
The film Nyasaland talks about the famous hyena who is paid to cleanse young girls and women sexually. Quite a cultural practice in this time and age but it is happening.
I wanted to portray a strong female character who is the heroine as she strives o save a whole community. and there is a hero too, a young man who is so different from the rest.
Making Nyasaland was fun. I was surrounded by a committed team and they understood my vision for the film. one notable thing about the making of the film is that in all the 5 locations we shot, the story naturally came alive because we realised that many women and girls were able to relate to the story and as they narrated their personal experiences, I realised how important the film was to the whole nation.
it is my dream that Nyasaland film will spur the much needed debate and bring about positive dialogue between people at different levels. NYASALAND film is simply a call to Action!