Mzansi Magic has been testing out TV movies with mini feature film budgets on us for a while now. There was the Ferguson's The Gift, Quizzical’s Rise and on Sunday 8 March it's the turn of a Bomb production.
Yes, the guys behind Isibaya, Jacob's Cross, Zone 13 and Yizo Yizo, yes them, are showcasing For Love and Broken Bones. I caught up with the director-writer, one Tebogo Malope, to get his insight into the film. Let’s dig in ...
( P.S the videos have the edited interview so feel free to make it rain with your data)
Who is Tebogo Malope? Some of you might remember him from last year’s SAFTA’s as the dude who was said to have been kidnapped by pirates when he was introduced to present an award - or, if you read the papers, you might have spotted him in the Mail and Guardian's 200 Young South Africans for 2013 - or you may have seen him in his numerous music video shoots for Idols, or behind-the-scenes on Naija and local artist's music videos.
Or you may have seen his name as the co-creator and co-writer-director of Season 1 of Tempy Pushas… still does not ring a bell?
A native of Soweto, he has fond memories of visiting Credo Mutwa’s residence and listening to his stories. He attests that the fondness for story telling comes from to his Pedi mom and aunts who would tell him stories in a rhythmic pattern as kid. Which, with the benefit of hindsight, inspired him to write his own plays at church and direct them before even knowing what directing was all about and getting into storytelling as a career.
What about For Love and Broken Bones? I hate to agree with him, the title is catchy. A story that gives us a 2.0 version of Laqhashe from S’good s’nice, complete with silver plated Knob Kerrie, which he carries in his trumpet suitcase. Tarantino and Rodriguez would approve.
The story is about a money collector by day, musician by night, who creates an uneasy friendship with a young boy trying to protect his wedding planner mom.
The cast features Mduduzi Mabaso aka Suffocate from Rhythm City as our modern day Laqhashe (millenniums you might have to google Zebedia Matabane before Isidingo). Tebogo states how he didn’t even audition Mdu, he had him read and was so convinced by the strong silent type mould Mdu is famous for, that he cast him right there and then.
Tebogo had originally written the role for Zakhele Mabaso who plays Skhaleni on Isibya but Mo-Suffo got him in his spell and he had to change his mind.
The next thing was to cast the leading lady and Tebogo brought in Lerato Mvelase .Yes her, from Home Affairs, Life Above All and more recently Thola on SABC 2.
Seemingly Tebogo has a history with Lerato, from his early days as he was earning his stripes as a VT technician on set of Home Affairs. Basically setting up the monitor for the director and making sure all is good, he was taken by her performance from there and has been itching to get her into a role .
Tebogo puts it well that “every great movie needs a great antagonist” - in this case it's played by Percy Matsemela. After the super casting director Moonyeenn Lee (check out all her SAFTA’s in her drawers) put in a good word for him. Percy did well in iNumber Number and Hijack Stories, Tebogo seems very pleased with what he puts through in For Love and Broken Bones.
Although Tebogo Malope has done countless music videos, ads and documentaries this is his first feature film, so you can see and feel his excitement and anxiousness at the same time. As a man who's starting to carve his own voice in the long format field.
Judging from the trailer and Tebogo’s feedback, For Love and Broken Bones seems to have the jazzy soundtrack of the early Spike Lee, the pulp of Tarantino, the redeeming love story qualities of Woody Allen, the ghetto feel of Mahlatsi’s Yizo Yizo all reworked and refashioned into romance-come-actioner by this director on his way up.
Only on Sunday, after Rockville, will we know if his able to pull it all off. So see you on twitter Sunday night as we see how this stacks up to Rise and the Gift .
For Love and Broken Bones plays Sunday 8 March after Rockville on Mzansi Magic