I don’t like to take taxis. Full stop. Particularly because of:
Number 1: How taxi conductors bang on the side of the taxi as if we, the commuters, are prisoners in a metal container.
Number 2: How taxi conductors ask for your R5 coin and then
afterwards they couldn’t care less what happens to you. For example just
yesterday afternoon this lady was going to Durban station, but the taxi
conductor persuaded her jump into the taxi – they blamed it on her and
said that she should pay twice. – What!!!
Number 3: The worst is when five to six taxi conductors will crowd around you, each one pulling you towards their taxi.
This comes to my story that I am trying to tell you. My shoe broke.
Yes, Zluh the one that you passed down to me suddenly decided that it
had grown tired of my walking abuse and broke. So what would you do? I
looked for a stapler in my office and lo and behold after six staples in
the broken area – it was fixed, so I thought. So I added four more.
On this day I decided to take a taxi ride back home because I did not
want to risk the shoe snapping while I was walking. I approached the
taxis that “rank” outside of DCC and where the self-proclaimed “skhothenis” hang
out. Wungad out of their minds. A taxi hoots at me, a
skhotheni approaches me. “Woza sisi, se iyahamba le ingaphambili” (The
one in the front is about to leave). I had my eye on the one that had
just approached the traffic lights. As I walk towards the “apple of my
eye” five taxi conductors and skhothenis swarm me as ants would to as
lump of sugar. Oh my word!!!
Natural instinct kicked in and I pushed them out of my way as if I
was dueling in a wrestling match (I am serious). This was do or die, or
more like a don’t mess with me message. As for my shoe, I felt a slight
movement and I was convinced that it was broken or re-broken. I dragged
my foot to the taxi of my choosing, only to discover that the shoe was
intact. Phew!
Oscapha and skhotheni, hayi shame!
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Images from Impendulo
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| Zilungile Msomi and Vuyo Lima. Zluh was always saving my butt during the shoot. She is one of a kind. They don't make 'em like her anymore! |
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| Sixolile Fundzo, the meanest and sweetest actor alive. |
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| Sixolile, a gem! |
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Miss Tracey Caroll, the coolest chic in the world!  Filming at the Pinetown rank, that's how we roll! |
We Truimph in the End
VICTORY
Thank you to all who were part of the journey of Impendulo. A little birdie told me that there might be new developments with the project and a possibility to develop the project overseas. But its just a rumour for now.
RESEARCH AWARD
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| L-R: Vuyo Lima. Alister Heath, Debbie Malton and Martin Barrios |
SCRIPTWRITING AWARD
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| Vuyo Lima, Cary Burnett and Cameron |
BTECH AWARD FOR INITIATIVE
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| The Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Vuyo Lima |
Friday, November 11, 2011
All work and No sleep makes submissions come to nought!
11 November 2011:
So, today is like the final hand in date for pracs, right. And I am an hour away from submitting the project. There I am sitting infrom of the Mac watching the video footage exporting away. So I come up with this idea that I have been watching this programme since I started filming, so it won't kill me to take 40 okay maybe twenty winks while the thing is exporting. My mind and my body agreed, thus my eyes became droopy and off to lala land I went, with not a moments hesitation.
Next thing I know, someone is waking me up and I am blabbering saomething about the submission. I look at the time and I am told - sorry girl, hand in was an hour ago!
What!!!! After all those sleepless nights editing the footage!
Anyway I had to calm down, have some tea and figure out what to do next.
I'm still thinking!
So, today is like the final hand in date for pracs, right. And I am an hour away from submitting the project. There I am sitting infrom of the Mac watching the video footage exporting away. So I come up with this idea that I have been watching this programme since I started filming, so it won't kill me to take 40 okay maybe twenty winks while the thing is exporting. My mind and my body agreed, thus my eyes became droopy and off to lala land I went, with not a moments hesitation.
Next thing I know, someone is waking me up and I am blabbering saomething about the submission. I look at the time and I am told - sorry girl, hand in was an hour ago!
What!!!! After all those sleepless nights editing the footage!
Anyway I had to calm down, have some tea and figure out what to do next.
I'm still thinking!
Sunday, October 23, 2011
A few pics from Impendulo
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| Directing the killing of the sangoma scene. |
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| Directing...what a task! |
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| My assistant for the day, Sgaxa |
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| Killing the sangoma |
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| Impendulo Mascots: The Woof Girls |
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Zluh and I waiting for a taxi before we shoot a scene at the EC taxi rank...we waited and we waited. |
Roller Coaster Weekend!!!!!
24 October 2011:
Wow!!! What a weekend. Travelled to Molweni on Friday to pick any shots that I would have missed and continue with a scene that I had not completed. Only to be greeted with an unexpected turn of events. Saturday was a scorcher in Molweni, Zluh and I trotted off to fetch one of the kid actors to travel to Durban with to shoot another scene. The boy ran away clearly not wanting to continue with the film. Clad with camera, tripod and all the other bits and pieces we use to make films I stood gobsmacked that this was happening so close to the end.
But I breathed in and breathed out - and found another child whose perfomance and innocent demeanure made me want to cry, however I could not cry - you can't be a weakling director you know (gotta take control).
On the same day we went to go and film in the notorious Chesterville Rank. I received 50 million warnings about shooting there, however if I as a filmmaker cannot shoot in the midst of my own peoples reality then where can I film. So we continued and yes we did draw in a crowd and some wanna be actors too, but it was marvelous and the shots were also marvelous.
Sunday we were shooting in Moore Road and those scenes went well with Sixolile and Sandile.
I am so glad that I am nearing the finish line. I can literally see the banner that says the FINISH and I hope to be amongst those that receive a rose and towel, perhaps even a trophy at the end.
Thank you for the continued support. I will see you all at the FINISH line.
From the Impendulo Team.
Wow!!! What a weekend. Travelled to Molweni on Friday to pick any shots that I would have missed and continue with a scene that I had not completed. Only to be greeted with an unexpected turn of events. Saturday was a scorcher in Molweni, Zluh and I trotted off to fetch one of the kid actors to travel to Durban with to shoot another scene. The boy ran away clearly not wanting to continue with the film. Clad with camera, tripod and all the other bits and pieces we use to make films I stood gobsmacked that this was happening so close to the end.
But I breathed in and breathed out - and found another child whose perfomance and innocent demeanure made me want to cry, however I could not cry - you can't be a weakling director you know (gotta take control).
On the same day we went to go and film in the notorious Chesterville Rank. I received 50 million warnings about shooting there, however if I as a filmmaker cannot shoot in the midst of my own peoples reality then where can I film. So we continued and yes we did draw in a crowd and some wanna be actors too, but it was marvelous and the shots were also marvelous.
Sunday we were shooting in Moore Road and those scenes went well with Sixolile and Sandile.
I am so glad that I am nearing the finish line. I can literally see the banner that says the FINISH and I hope to be amongst those that receive a rose and towel, perhaps even a trophy at the end.
Thank you for the continued support. I will see you all at the FINISH line.
From the Impendulo Team.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Impendulo - The Answer Continues Opening Up Can of Worms!
4 October 2011:
Tonight is going to be rough! Working towards completing the trailer, voice over for the poem was fabulous with Menzi izolo, Music has been composed (beautiful song and vocals) - Great job Thato, working on the trailer tonight for submission = no sleep, still looking for funds for post production - My head is completely split!
Nevertheless the dream is still ALIVE and the filming should be, more like has to be completed by Sunday - I speak this into existence.
The trailer should be up on the blog page by the end of this week! Excited and afraid, I always seem to open a can of worms that sinking into fertile great and a tree pops out.
Shoot, Cut and The View workshop was postponed to the 5 November 2011. Will post more about this event which will be held at the Durban University of Technology - more worms let out of the success can!
Hope you all have a blessed, productive and worry free day and make things happen!
From the Impendulo Team.
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| Original artwork by Cruz Puga |
Nevertheless the dream is still ALIVE and the filming should be, more like has to be completed by Sunday - I speak this into existence.
The trailer should be up on the blog page by the end of this week! Excited and afraid, I always seem to open a can of worms that sinking into fertile great and a tree pops out.
Shoot, Cut and The View workshop was postponed to the 5 November 2011. Will post more about this event which will be held at the Durban University of Technology - more worms let out of the success can!
Hope you all have a blessed, productive and worry free day and make things happen!
From the Impendulo Team.
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