Eastern Cape producer debuts film on Showmax

When producer Zikona Debese left Mthatha to study film at the University of Johannesburg, she had three main objectives in mind — to educate, entertain and fulfil fantasies through storytelling — all of which resonate in her latest offering Loving Thokoza.

Eight years after leaving her home, Debese produced her first blockbuster film and watched it premiere on Showmax last week.   

Finally watching Loving Thokoza on Showmax has been rewarding, the 26-year-old said.

“It feels unreal, as if my own life is a movie or a dream that someone is going to wake me up from.

“Putting a [film] together is pure magic!

“There are so many drafts, so many challenges and so many compromises to be made before the viewer watches the story on their screen but the whole journey is amazing and the best feeling is always realising that we did it,” Debese said.

Debese led a team of junior crew members and brought the film to life within a nine-day shooting schedule.

“What has always fascinated me about filmmaking is knowing that there is a team of people behind the scenes working to show us what we see on TV.

“So being a part of that team that takes an idea from paper and brings it to life, will always be exhilarating for me,” Debese said.

Loving Thokoza, a Black Brain Pictures production, follows Charlotte Grootboom (Enhle Mbali Mlotshwa), a young teacher in apartheid-ravaged Thokoza, where she is determined to show her pupils life’s greater possibilities through a debate society.

The opportunity to produce the film fitted in well with Debese’s aim to create stories for the benefit of audiences.  

“I love being a creative because not only does creativity entertain but it also educates and fulfils people’s and my own fantasies.

“A lot of films are based on ‘what if’s’ because we all wonder what would happen if life or certain aspects of it were a certain way.

“Film gives you those scenarios.

“In the case of Loving Thokoza, we have been able to educate people not just about the history of SA but some life lessons to be learnt from rejection.

“Moreover, we’ve thrown in an entertaining element to characters such as Mashudu [played by Vele Manenje],” Debese said.

The Cape Town-born filmmaker took an interest in film while still a pupil at Dalindyebo High School in Mthatha.

At the time, neither she nor her family knew any filmmakers, which made it harder to convince her parents to let her pursue a career in film.

“Being from Mthatha and wanting to become a filmmaker wasn’t something that made sense because we weren’t really exposed to people who worked in the industry — all those people were in Johannesburg — so my whole family wasn’t sold on the idea because no-one really knew what you do on TV if you’re not an actor on screen.

“They eventually warmed up to the idea when I was in matric because I explained that if they won’t let me follow my dreams then anything else I do will be depressing for me,” she said.

Debese cut her teeth in film on the set of Inside the Baobab Tree in 2015.

She joined Black Brain pictures as an intern, working behind the scenes on different productions from sitcom Ses’ Top La  to prison drama series Lockdown.

Over the years, Debese switched between different roles from production assistance to co-ordinating and casting, before becoming Black Brain Pictures’ in-house producer.

 “I have learnt so much about what goes into producing a film.

“At first, I loved the idea because it meant I could take control but I have come to learn what responsibilities that comes with and I’m fortunate to work with such an amazing team of individuals who all bring their A-game.

“When you’re a producer, you have to carry the story from its inception to the final product, while also minding the budget and everything in-between.

“The most important thing is ensuring that the story doesn’t get lost while trying to accommodate things like budgets, schedules and all else,” she said.