Br
o! Hold my hand, Wait! I mean my blunt, Shit! I’m super high. If you're
afraid of heights I advise you watch this silent short film seated and if it
happens that you have high standards, then seat down.
From the Writer-Director Thabiso Mkhize that made you laugh on Phakathi
Egoli (Mzansi Movie) and made you drop a tear on Young and Married (Short Film),
now gives you his third offering with his second independent short film. MY
PHOTOGRAPH tells a story of love at first sight. When a photographer’s bumps into
a beautiful girl, He immediately falls in love as time moves on, he learns that
sometimes love may leave you, but a picture stays forever. Andy Warhol said it best when he said, “The
best thing about a picture is that it never changes even when people in it do”.
Lulama AJ Nyembezi and Cleopatra Mmalia give out honest performances in
this film, which is beautiful to watch, sometimes had smiles which felt awkward,
but love makes you do weird shit. Yoh! Hear me out, silent films are fire when
echoes of ambience sound pop within the visuals. Thabiso Mkhize plays a lot
with sounds such as footsteps, soft-laughs, birds chirping, cars honking, kids
playing, and camera click sounds. Joy Masisi did an amazing job on sound.
Director of photograph went hand-held on some beautiful moments in the film
like when the two bumps into each other ending the movement on a close Up of
Lulama, brilliant to watch though he did have some shaky shots which one can live
with. Charlie Samson commented “Beautiful. Those silhouettes were godly” and I
can’t help it but feel the same way.
The ending makes one wonder why Cleopatra would leave without saying a
word to Lulama just when their relationship has just started but we can’t argue
that love comes and goes whenever it feels like it so leaves the door open. I
honestly would have loved to see them kiss, especially in the rooftop moment as
the sunsets with their eyes glued at each other. Thabiso Mkhize truly does
tell stories that evoke emotions, films should move you to a certain feeling
and he does that without fear in his writings and directorial choices. When
Trevor Gumbi tweeted “Thabiso Mkhize is a talent to look out for in the near
future.” Can’t help but to agree with him.
THE PHOTOGRAPH came out eight months ago on Thabiso Mkhize YouTube Channel (Link: https://youtu.be/sUt6aCxO_V0). It runs for 4 mins and 40 secs, it’s totally worth your
time.
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