Giving Thanks

Americans have this day they celebrate; Thanksgiving Day. Pre- Google days, it would have been sufficient enough to just say it is a day when (like the name suggests) they presumably give thanks for all they have to be thankful for over the year gone by- or in life as a whole. Now the advent of Google has rendered not giving enough on any subject as sloppy work. However explaining when the holiday came into existence and by whose idea is not absolutely relevant, in my humble opinion, to the purpose of this particular posting really.

I am simply amazed that of all the things American that have been adapted the world over, this – Thanksgiving Day- has not been foremost amongst them. Not that jeans are not entirely deserving of their global trend rating. But how can jeans or rap and R & B prove more preferable globally to having a day in the year set aside to just be thankful? Why the United Nations has not yet declared a UN International Day of Thanks... Or why not just pick a random day, to express gratitude like I am choosing to do here?

v  I want to give thanks for each and every member of my Facebook Make Belonging An Animated Feature Film Campaign group, numbering 52 to the date of this posting. It means out there, there are 51 of you besides myself who believe in my dream enough to join me to push for it. And I’ll always remember you, all 51 of you believed from the very first. Thank you, thank you all. Your participation and those personal messages have been encouragement to turn to when needed.

v  My writing took me to Tanzania in 2010 for a workshop. An all expenses paid experience of a week in a fancy hotel... which once I subdued the paranoia of missing my flight and being left behind, stranded in a foreign country- or being dispossessed of my laptop and passport (usual touristy concerns)- was an exciting occasion. Thank you to the organisers and fellow participants for making the event the fantastic eye-opener it was.

v  I am thankful for being chosen as a winner for the Golden Baobab Prize. An incredible gift for the year’s end.

v  And I am thankful I am alive at this moment and have it (this precious moment) to make whatever difference in a life (mine or another’s) in whichever way, big or small, it is in my capacity to do so. 

v  Last but never least, the incredible friendship that has cheered me and steadied me tirelessly through everything the year has been... My n# 1 Fan. Without you there would be no Sparkle. There are no words that could do my feelings justice.

Contest Column: Tell A Writer...

I know this delightful young creature who will flap and warble about this ‘thing’ she applied for or this other ‘thing’ she entered whilst all the time (to everyone’s amusement) taking great pains never to divulge precisely what this ‘thing’ is.
And when pressed for details on the ‘thing’ she invariably suffers from sudden memory loss and is never quite able to remember the name of/ the website/ advert/ the organisation responsible for this ‘thing’.
So we (the company in which this/that ‘thing’ is mentioned) have arrived at the conclusion that whilst sorely wanting to brag that she is setting/ has set herself in line for this/that opportunity she would much rather not let anyone- not even her chums- in on it too if she can avoid it.
Her behaviour exemplifies one of my biggest issues with the Zimbabwean art scene. Those in the know being stingy with information. Is it like this for others elsewhere?
Why?
Because there will be too many applicants/ entrants? Fear of being outdone? Surely anyone being better than oneself should be a challenge to self to improve...
How do we as writers (artistes) promote/ help develop the creative voice in the community, the country, the continent when calls for submission, contests, fellowship opportunities are top secrets kept exclusively amongst a select few in the know- deliberately excluding the participation of those who for any reason do not have access to this information?
How about we work with the inspiration that if I don’t win/ get in to an opportunity, it is great if someone I know or someone someone I know knows (you get my drift) does?
Yes love, even if there is only one prize because it might not be mine but it could just be yours.
If you think you should be taking the prize, let it be because your work is good... so you should not fear more competition. If you do not have faith in your work that you must resort to exclusionist practices... I can’t help you. Perhaps Dr. Phil, Oprah can?
I simply accept that it doesn’t need to be me... Even though it’s great when it is. It can be me, yes... But it doesn’t need to be me. So I am going to Tell A Writer... in the column to the right.
If on my way to that big dream of seeing Belonging made into an animated feature film, anyone else gets their dream via information shared here, I would be mighty pleased and very, very happy for them.
And hey- if it is not yours, it could be someone else’s who just needs to be told about it...
So dear reader, I hope you’re not going to be like the aforementioned self- centred creature and (whether or not you take up the opportunity yourself) that you too are going to Tell A Writer...

My Dream Cast For Belonging

1.                  Kuku: A young wild hen. She feels lost amongst her kind. She is an impertinent free thinker, always wanting to know the what, how and why. Constantly challenges the status quo.

1^st  choice- Meredith Grey.

Reason- If Meredith Grey of Seattle Grace Hospital had been an actual person, she would capture the very essence of Kuku. The Grey’s Anatomy lead character truly embodies the spirit of the quirky young hen.

2^nd choice- Miley Cyrus

Reason- To appeal to that demographic... you know... the demographic in whose hands the fate of the global entertainment industry lies- Ms. Miley Cyrus would get a call up.

3^rd choice- the original actress off the BBC radio drama version of Belonging

Reason- Just listen to her!

In the interest of publicity, Lindsay Lohan might want to consider it as a perfect chance to make her big comeback. Or if Paris Hilton is still interested in proving herself as an actress...

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2. Mama Kuku: The long-suffering mother of Kuku. A typical hen; silly and easily panicked. The prattler; quite happy with life as it is and of the mind that Kuku would do well to follow suit.

 Choice- Jenifer Lewis

Reason- Her ‘Vera’ on Meet the Browns gives her my vote. Just the right touch of ditzy!

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3. Jobo: The pompous rooster believes all life in the veld would come to a standstill if he were not there to crow. A dominant know-it-all.

 1^st  choice- Cordon Bleu (from High School Musical)

 Reason- He did some interesting voices when he appeared on an episode of Tyra’s show. For this reason, I do not think Jobo’s posturing would be too hard for him.

2^nd  choice- Justin Chambers, the guy who plays ‘Alex Karev’ in Grey’s Anatomy (yes- it is my favourite TV show) could do the arrogant rooster as well. Though what he was thinking when he took the role of that JLo pursuing dweeb in the wedding planner eludes me. Here’s a movie his kids would enjoy watching... I wonder if that would be reason enough to lure Brad Pitt to consider taking the role?

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4. Bere: The matured alpha female Hyena in the pack. Open-minded. Has bursts of fierce temper.

 Choice: Meryl Streep.

Reason: Mama Mia showed she can let her hair down and do humour. Meryl Streep bears this uncanny resemblance to a former boss of mine. Especially in ‘The Devil wears Prada’. My boss to the boot! I was terrified of this lady and yet revered her which is the right mix of the feelings Bere’s character inspires around her.

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5.Ruma:  A young alpha female Hyena. Bere’s sister. She is the embodiment of viciousness at its meanest. The staunchest bigot.

 1^st  choice- Whoopi Goldberg

Reason- I can hear Whoopi’s voice playing the menacing Ruma

2^nd choice- Vanessa Williams.

Reason- How many can do meanness quite like the Ugly Betty vixen?

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6. Zino: A young male Hyena. Ruma’s devoted sidekick- her shadow and, on occasion, echo. The wimp/stooge of the pairing.

Choice- Ashton Kutcher

Reason- He could pull off the hyena sidekick with aplomb.

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7. Guinea Fowl:  Adult male Guinea Fowl. Ruma’s feeble victim.

 Choice- Chris Rock

Reason- I would love to see everyone’s favourite comedian give new meaning to the angry resignation of this wretched bird.

My Reasons Belonging Deserves to Be On Screen

Of course there have to be more reasons that I believe in Belonging being suitable cartoon material besides…

1. The dialogue for ‘Belonging’ flowed into my mind in ‘cartoon motion.’

Here is a list I compiled of others:

2. Belonging is a story with a lesson of tolerance. The world can never have too many stories that advocate acceptance of each other as people- as human beings- considering;

-          the xenophobic attacks in South Africa

-          religious tensions in Nigeria

-           tribal conflicts across the African continent and others

-          Israeli-Palestinian conflict

-          French expulsion of the Roma

-          Francophone and Flemish speaking disputes in a small town in Belgium

-          the Immigrant Bill in Arizona

-          racism

-          and political clashes just about anywhere we care to look

3. The global necessity of the message of tolerance/ acceptance guarantees ‘Belonging’ a global appeal.

4. Belonging’s prominent themes (e.g tolerance/acceptance) extend across generations. So it would be another All Ages opportunity for families to sit, hopefully laugh and to learn from together.

5. Belonging, the animated feature film would be fun to do as well as fun to watch. Lots of laughs for everyone.

6. Belonging could be a multi-national production integrating ideas from a worldwide pool in the true spirit of the era globalization.

7. (a) It would be that more fulfilling to have a production process that could engage unrecognized artistic, technical, and vocal talent from communities commonly deprived of exposure. There are gifted people out there who seek only a break through. Their battle is my battle.

Failing to have (a)....

(b) Hollywood actors performing an African script!!! Need I say more?

8. The production of ‘Belonging’ for Hollywood would go a significant way in aiding the awakening of the movie world to the wealth of unexploited stories in Africa, sitting and waiting to be turned into films.

9. ‘Belonging’ is an excuse to celebrate the wildlife of Africa and the color that is Africa.

10. ‘Belonging’ is a screenplay out of Africa by an African. In the age of diversity, Belonging is an opportunity for Hollywood (if it wants it) to show its support for writers from a broader scope.

A 2010 Golden Baobab Prize Winner: Mirirai Moyo

In my Inbox this week was an e-mail notifying me that my story- Diki, the Little Earthworm had been chosen as a 2010 winner of the Golden Baobab Prize.
I wrote a story that I would have wanted someone to tell me when I was a child- that said it is okay to be different (in all the ways that we will be different) and that even when you are different, you are still special.
I felt- and will always feel- very strongly about the subject. And I had visions for the story. The battle was in finding a publisher who appreciated the essence of the idea enough to publish it.
I am grateful to the Golden Baobab team for giving African writers this opportunity for recognition and promotion of their efforts. And it is truly an honour to have had my story chosen as a winner of this prize.
And the award coming at this stage in my ongoing quest to have my screenplay version of ‘Belonging’ made into an animated feature film really can be taken as a valuable reminder, by myself-  anyone in need of it, to keep dreaming- keep believing- and keep trying...
See Golden Baobab 2010 Winners

Dreaming In A Third World Country

Seeing the Belonging script made into a feature film seems simple enough- doesn’t it? Oh, believe me, I thought so too.

But there are some dreams you may have and then there are certain dreams you are not expected- permitted- to have when you live in my world. Ever felt like that?

“You should have made it into a cartoon...”

“It would make a good cartoon...”

“Cartoon...”

“Cartoon...”

“Cartoo...”

What happened to the remarks that affirmed what I had believed from the very first with the story of Kuku flowing through my head onto paper in ‘cartoon motion’?

Clearly they were just things people said; (a) as they were the right things to say- and/or

(b) they were not really expecting me to follow through (on the idea).

Because when I made known and acted on my intention of seeing ‘Belonging’ made into a feature film it brought on this series of flip-side reactions;

“This is Zimbabwe!”

“You are in Zimbabwe!”

It is. I am. And so? Should those be grounds on which a dream cannot be had?

Incredibly- yes! “Maybe if you were in the States...” “Or if this were South Africa...”

But I am not. It is not.  I am here- in Zimbabwe- and I burn with a dream.

The Journey To A Dream...

I have a dream... of seeing my screenplay version of Belonging made into an animated feature film.

Somewhere early in the initial jotting down of draft dialogue for ‘Belonging’ the radio drama, it all flowed through my head in what I took to describing as ‘cartoon motion’. Thinking of it now, I sorely wish I could remember the precise moment- that exact instant, the very line, every detail- to share it with you... because just like that, in the sparking of cells somewhere in my brain, a possibility came into being.

If only we could always tell... that this fleeting (almost wishful) thought will someday, in future register as a defining moment then we would know to capture it in mind, note it down or something! 

Vexing as it is, not being able to recall the day- the time- positioning will not lessen the significance of the thought that I had... ‘This could be a cartoon.’ That realisation was the beginning of a journey to a dream.