03 Feb 2015

Growing up in Botswana for some 20 years, he never appreciated the beauty of the country, especially the Okavango wetlands until he was miles and miles away from home.

Edward Sebati, the author of Memories of Lotsane: The Chronicles of An African Boarding School, now based in the US, found a way to be closer home by creating a movie based on his experiences of the Okavango region.

Adding to his other movies like Black Cobra, he created Blood Brothers; a movie spreading the message of anti-poaching.  Although it was inspired by the beautiful north west of Botswana, his love for martial arts also played a role in creating this movie. 

“Karate has been a part of me from as far back as I can remember, and it has always been my dream to tell a great martial arts story, or rather a great story through the eyes of martial arts,” says Sebati. 

The story centres around two young Batswana brothers; Dumisani and Sasha McDaniels, who are nature conservationists working for National Geographic and very much in tune with Botswana’s care for wildlife. 

The two brothers then encounter a deadly gang of poachers which eventually alters the course of their lives forever, leading them back to their roots in the United States, where they are caught up in a political conspiracy.

This adventure action movie, Sebati says, is expected to premiere in 2017, and if all goes accordingly they intend shooting on location in Botswana, first towards the end of this year, and wrapping up production in Los Angeles, US, where the story line ends, he points out. 

And yes, this production will see a Motswana shine alongside one of Africa’s supreme martial artists, Aurelien Henry Obama, says Sebati, reckoning that it is time to exploit local talent will finally be revealed to the world. 

Besides Obama, Halfman Halfleopard Filmworks is in negotiations to rope in great actors like Michael Jai White and Chuck Norris, and it is just a matter of their respective agencies agreeing to terms, says Sebati. 

But, Sebati also mentions other notable actors in Virginia Madsen, Richard Norton, and the great director Isaac Florentine, as well as Jackie Chan, whom they desire to work with.

“And working with Jackie Chan in particular, we have to find the right script for him, and believe it or not, I met Chan in January 2010, and had the opportunity of telling him that as kids we grew up watching all his movies at local community centres like the one in Bontleng,” says Sebati. 

Interesting and glamorous as it looks, the film industry is not all rosy and smooth sailing because there are challenges especially among black producers in Hollywood; it is even harder for a black African producer and/or director. 

He adds that he knew the challenges before him in this industry but he was not going to be a film director who watched from the sides without taking part.

The fact that the Academy awards also known as the Oscars, are dominantly white indicates how difficult it is for Africans, he complained, adding that most actors have shown their disappointment regarding the recent nominations for the coming 87^th Academy awards which was predominantly white.

However, Sebati is optimistic about the latest development from Amazon Inc, the internet retailer, of their move to make and distribute films and most importantly acquiring movies from independent filmmakers like Sebati. 

“The news could not have come at a better time,” says Sebati excitedly, adding that nowadays it is easier to make and distribute one’s own movies because of the advent of technology; what more now if there is corporation willing to assist those struggling filmmakers. ENDS