Written by: Sam Banda Jnr, Malawi
As Malawi continues to battle to uplift its film industry, actor and director Michael Usi affectionately known as Manganya and his production company, Mandiweni Film Production have finally released his third film titled Living on Perfume.
Living on Perfume will premiere in Blantyre at Comesa Hall on the 1st of August. Shot in both Malawi and Burundi, the film took Manganya almost a year to make. “I had to make sure it was perfect. People like Sambalikagwa Mvona watched it and gave me a direction on where I made mistakes,” explains Usi.
Making this film was not without glitches. Like many other films in Malawi there were problems with equipment and funding. But the biggest problem Usi encountered while making this film was that they were restricted from shooting various venues. “Our film industry still has a long way to go. All the places where you want to shoot films like prisons are prohibitive and as a result most of our scenes are confined to house settings,” explains Usi. “It has not been that easy to come up with this film as you know Malawi lacks resources, but all-in-all I am happy with the final product.”
The film touches on various issues among them politics. Manganya believes the film is going to spark debates about Malawi’s politics and hopes that African politicians will learn a thing or two from Living on Perfume. The idea to produce a film like this came when Usi realized that politicians have no idea what people at grassroots level go through on a day-to-day basis. “This film will assist viewers to ask themselves questions why some things happen the way they do,” he says.
Usi has become a household name not only in Malawi but also in neighbouring countries where his two previous films namely Dr Manga and Manganya in Action were very popular. Although he holds two masters degrees in Administration and Strategic Management, a career in the arts industry always seemed more appealing. His acting career began with theatre performance. He’s starred in comedies in Malawi and participated in popular radio plays on Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) before he ventured into the film industry.
Prior to the release of his first film, Dr Manga, Usi acted in a Malawian soapie known as Tikuferanji (Why Are We Dying) which is still on air to this day. Tikuferanji is his brainchild and its aim is to enlighten people about HIV/Aids and to encourage them to lead healthy lives and practice safe sex. His previous films have done well in Malawi because of his ability to make people laugh even though he tackles serious issues.
Living on Perfume features other prominent Malawian actors such as Gift Namachekecha, Ruth Simika, Augustine Mauwa, and Scottish actor Karren Lodo.
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