Give Us Peace
GIVE US PEACE (2003) Docudrama 7 mins. Directed by Ingrid Sinclair.Produced by Simon Bright. Internet release: A Zimmedia Production.
This short film tells the true story of a dancer from the townships travelling through the city centre on his way to rehearsal. He bids his child farewell and advises her not to open the door to anyone and especially not to soldiers. He has to pass through a “bread riot”, which was not an uncommon event in 2003 in Zimbabwe, as people demonstrated against soaring inflation. When asked abruptly why he arrived late for the rehearsal he simply replies “transport problems”. Starting to dance with his young partner, our dancer moves into a lyrical evocation of peaceful power, in contrast to the reality in the townships and the streets outside.
This film did not have police clearance, and would never have got police clearance because the media space for independent expression was sharply reduced after the rigged elections of 2002. (Raftopoulos,B. 2004). Under the threat of political blackmail for making the film and now the target of ZANU’s essentialist rhetoric of nationalism which was broadcast by government media channels and physically reinforced by government militias, Zimmedia left Zimbabwe for the UK in 2003.