By Our Reporter
Producers of Unheard, the hotly-billed Ugandan film whose Shs 150 million production budget was funded by a government grant, have announced October 27 as the official date for its premiere.
Written and produced by Polly Kamukama, a lecturer of film at Makerere University, the film follows the story of a young mother in a tiny fishing village in rural south-western Uganda who becomes an unlikely hero in her community after defying a centuries-old cultural norm.
“It’s a story of personal strife, female resilience and hope in an African community that is torn between embracing modernity and upholding long standing traditions,” Kamukama said of the film that is directed by award-winning filmmaker Joseph Kenneth Ssebaggala.
Shot mid last year in the alluring landscapes of Kabale and Rwenshama in south-western Uganda, the Rukiga dialect film stars fast-rising Ugandan actress Jackline Katusiime as lead character Grace, a rebellious young woman who finds herself at odds with her own culture.
She leads a stellar cast that includes veteran actor Cyril Baryabawe and multitalented Qwela band frontman Joe Kahiri in his acting debut. Local fishermen and farmers from Kabale and Rwenshama make up much of the supporting cast playing themselves.
The film has been picking up momentum since it was awarded the hefty production grant by UCC under their flagship Content Development Support Programme (CDSP) back in November 2021.
Recently, fans were treated to a catchy music video for the film’s lead song Ngaaha by Joe Kahiri which features stunning visuals from the film.
Throughout the three-minute video, which has become an instant hit on YouTube and is starting to penetrate the local airwaves, audiences are served snippets of what to expect on October 27 as the main actors can be seen in action, navigating harsh landscapes and complex relationships.
The premiere will be followed by an extensive nationwide theatrical release later in November and December with the film set to make multiple stops in Kabale, Mbarara, Entebbe and Kampala.
Tickets to the October 27 screening are selling for Shs 50,000 at the Century Cinemax box office on Acacia Mall.
