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“I will never stop creating,” says filmmaker, Mpendulo Myeni

27 January 2022 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Supplied

Mpendulo_web read more — Director and co-producer Mpendulo Myeni believes when it comes to making it in the film industry, one should use all the resources and opportunities you have at your disposal.

A single, unemployed mother; institutional corruption, blackmail, and the powerful players behind it. These are all ingredients for a 29-minute short film, Leshano, currently available on Showmax.

Mpendulo Myeni, director and co-producer of the production that was filmed between Bloemfontein and Bothshabelo last year, says he was initially attracted to the script by writer and executive producer, Anton Fisher (a former Director of Strategic Communications at the UFS). “Hearing his creative ideas, I fell deeper into the storyline, wanting to explore the story and tell it with my own voice.”

Besides Myeni’s involvement with Leshano (The Lie), which was filmed in Sesotho with English subtitles, a number of other Free State artists contributed to the film. Napo Masheane, who grew up in Qwaqwa, was cast in the lead role. He is supported by Maria de Koker, Vincent Tsoametsi, Seipati Mpotoane, Pesa Pheko, Ntsiki Ndzume, and Shayne Nketsi.

Aspiring filmmakers in the province also had the opportunity to be part of this success story, whether as make-up artists, wardrobe assistants, or location scouts.

Myeni says Bloemfontein artists and spectators are excited to see that a film shot locally has been accepted by the streaming service, Showmax. “The story has been welcomed and has had an overwhelming response on social media by the Free State audiences. Dignitaries in the Free State Provincial Department of Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation also positively commented on social media.”

“The Free State audience has embraced our creative expression. Many have requested for the story to be turned into a series,” he says.

Creative at heart

Myeni, a creative at heart, studied Drama and Theatre Arts, as well as Film and Visual Media up to honours level at the UFS. He also had the opportunity to study as exchange student at the University of Groningen in their film master's programme.

The international experience ignited his passion for filming and got him fired up and ready to create. He was involved in the production of several films. “I co-wrote and directed Eyelash (2020), which won a jury award, iamAFRICA, at the Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles. This led me to create the critically acclaimed lockdown film, called Let Me Out. This film was praised by notable film critic Robyn Sassen as ‘a coronavirus gem’, like Vincent Mantsoe’s dance piece, Cut … to materialise on the cultural sphere, and it deserves as much attention as it can garner.” Another recent creation from Myeni is Amanzi, a short film yet to be released. “I also directed The Lie and collaborated with amazing creatives during the venture,” he elaborates.

The complete Eyelash experience, winning the iamAFRICA award at the Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles, might have been one of those life-changing moments for Myeni. He confirms: “Going to America was definitely an out-of-this-world experience, especially being such a big accomplishment – winning an internationally recognised film award from a distinguished film festival. I also got to meet and talk to the director of YouTube originals, as well as other filmmaking creatives.”

Firm foundations

Besides being an UFS alumnus and award-winning filmmaker, Myeni, who on a previous occasion received the Richard Miles award in the Faculty of the Humanities, is now working as an assistant officer in the Department of Architecture at the UFS. “I largely work with research and the creative outputs of postgraduate students. Furthermore, I manage the research hub and library and I also run the visual media aspect within the department.”

In addition, Myeni is also completing his master’s degree in Film and Visual Media at the university. “The academia and higher learning are very important to me; you can say that I am motivated by the academic avenues and learning opportunities that my position affords me,” he says.

He believes that any lived experience will give insight into your character and abilities. “This experience in the film industry will carry me through to give more of myself in my current position, both academically and creatively.”

“I will never stop creating; my future holds more films, with me involved in producing and directing them.” In five years’ time, I see myself having been the creator of at least three other short films, and one feature film,” concludes Myeni.

News Archive

Professor launches his book, opposition parties attend

2011-03-22

Prof. Hussein Solomon
Photo: Stephen Collett

“We are good in opposing people, but we’re less good in opposing ideas.” This was how Prof. Jonathan Jansen, Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the University of the Free State (UFS) introduced the book launch of Against all Odds: Opposition Politics in Southern Africa.

The event was hosted in collaboration with the publisher under the title: Are opposition parties in South Africa in a crisis? This formed part of a series of dialogue sessions, organised by the Centre for Africa Studies, in the run up to the local elections.

Amongst those interested who attended the evening in the Senate Hall of the CR Swart Building on the Main Campus were various politicians, students, staff en a panel consisting of academics and the respective provincial representatives of the ANC and DA.

Dr Mcebisi Ndletyana from the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), acted as arbiter.

Proff. Hussein Solomon, author of Against all Odds: Opposition Politics in Southern Africa, also lecturer at the UFS, as well as Dirk Kotzé, Head of the Department of Political Science at Unisa, delivered enriching lectures on the stance and positioning of opposition parties.

Prof. Hussein, who spoke first, circumscribed the context of the political climate in the country, based on his book. “The problem that political science encounters is that everybody becomes experts on the internet, while they have no experience of what is happening in South Africa.” He said that when political parties in the country are under discussion, voters often allow myths and/or stereotyping to influence their concept of it. ‘’If there are no opposition parties, there is no democracy and people are deprived of their vote.”

Prof. Kotzé stated in his speech that it was not only opposition parties who had to make the government watch its step, but also the status that the country acquired, amongst others, from its connections, i.e. collaborative agreements such as BRICSA and the country’s inclusion in the G20. He left the audience with a question about how they were going to become involved in politics, and with his rhetoric question referred to options like social networks and movements.

Mr Sibongile Besani, the ANC'S secretary in the Free State, said the DA grew due to it’s swallowing of other parties; something he claims is taking the country backwards. He also described the use of personalities by opposition parties as means of association a weakness. He added that voters will continue voting for the ANC because they can associate themselves with the party’s vision.

In contrast, Mr Roy Jankielsohn, provincial leader of the DA, said voters and parties unite under their core vision for the country as like in the case of the ANC during the liberation struggles.

During the question-and-answer session, which followed after Mr Jankielson’s speech, Prof. Kwandiwe Kondlo, upon completion and summary of the discussions, stated firmly that the opposition parties are in a crisis. “The start of the solution is to recognise the problem. That is why our democracy finds itself in the state in which it is; because the opposition does not fulfil the role that they are supposed to fulfil.“ Prof. Kondlo is the head of the Centre of Africa Studies at the UFS.

He concluded by stating that the economic basis in the country was not transformed. “We cannot say that people determine their futures if they posses nothing. Opposition parties must start to communicate at this level in order to table something new. Our democracy must become more inclusive at political and material level.”

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