Cinema Take and Of Soul and Joy are transforming lives of the youth of Thokoza through filmmaking and photography

By Edward Tsumele, CITYLIFE/ARTS Editor

Those who are into project management will tell you that the success of project design depends very much on the implementation of the idea. And so the success of the photographic organization that is active in Thokoza, which is sponsored by Rubis Mecenat is very much the result of the efforts of the team on the ground, and that is the people who are implementing the ideas.

With Jabulani Dhlamini as the project manager of Soul and Joy, which has seen photographers coming out of the project make an impact in the world of photography, not only in South Africa but globally, the organization this year collaborated with a film crew of Cinema Take that comprises Mpumelelo Mcata (MM) (co-founder Cinema TAKE and film director) and  Emilie Démon (ED)( Founder) CinemaTake who speak to CITYLIFE/ARTS about their collaboration with Of Soul and Joy, transforming the young photographers into filmmakers. 

Their first collaborative film called Kasi Lamakasi, was screened to an appreciative audience at Biscope in Maboneng after its debut and critically acclaimed screening at a major European film festival aimed at the youth in Portugal early this year.

CITYLIFE/ARTS had a conversation with Mpumelelo Mcata (MM) and Emilie Démon (ED) this week in the absence of the third partner of CinemaTake Muriel Huet. The two answered our questions below:

  CITYLIFE/ARTS: How did the collaboration come about? .

ED: Cinema TAKE was born from a friendship between Muriel Huet, Emilie Demon and Mpumelelo Mcata and a common desire to use cinema as a tool of resistance, education and entertainment.

MM: Muriel Huet of CinemaTake heard about a international youth cinema program and festival called ‘Cinema Cent Ans De Jeunesse’ (CCAJ) via a colleague of hers at the British Film Institute in London where she gives workshops annually and was persuaded to participate. She then spoke to Emilie about it. Emilie immediately felt she had just the right group of kids to work with, the young people of ‘Of Soul &Joy Photography Project’ (OSJ) which she had already been involved with through her work as a gallerist at Afronova. Afterwards they approached me (Mpumelelo Mcata), to join in as a South African filmmaker and boom, the rest is history! We met with the brilliant photographer Mr Jabulani Dlamini founder of OSJ and got rolling.

CITYLIFE/ARTS: What lessons have both organisations learned from this collaboration?

MM: Well from our side at CinemaTake, I could say … that we’ve learnt more concretely about what we always felt and that is that there is no limit to what is possible with a good collaboration.

ED: Demon met Jabulani Dhlamini the project manager of the OSJ Project and a few students of the Project at the Arles Photo Encounters in 2017 and has since been involved with Of Soul and Joy as a mentor and sounding board for younger artists as well as organizing workshops with artworld professionals (curators, critics, historians, and more established artists) to give an understanding of the big picture and the workings of the art industry inside and outside Africa.

And when we founded Cinema TAKE with Muriel Huet and Mpumelelo Mcata, it was only natural to associate ourselves with the OSJ Project and add to photography the filming component.

CITYLIFE/ARTS: You are taking the collaboration further into its second leg –are you collaborating on a documentary again and if so, is it set in the same township or dealing with the same theme or different themes?

MM: In terms of the latest CCAJ Program the assignment is different, as it changes each year and this year the form is fiction not documentary, while the theme is “Community Group Individual” so … it presents a very different challenge for the youngsters of OSJ.

ED: Our programme offers participants the chance to gain hands-on experience in every aspect of film production, from writing and directing to filming and editing. We work with renowned local and international professionals, guiding the participants in creating their own documentaries and short films. These films are showcased at national and international festivals, providing young filmmakers with invaluable exposure and a platform to share their stories with the world.

 Cinema TAKE also assists the students in applying for awards, scholarships and film festivals that will nourish their creativity, enrich their experience, and offer opportunities to acquire skills that will contribute to their growth and success.

 The Cinema TAKE workshops allow a wide range of conversations around gender, politics, racism, women violence, depression, etc…

 This longstanding commitment is not only personally rewarding for us, but also one of the best ways to stay tuned to important narratives and the pulse of South Africa’s future. It is also an excellent way to maintain a good grasp of the political and social environment.

CITYLIFE/ARTS: When should we expect the final product from this collaboration?

ED: The Film will be screened in a European city in June 2025.

MM: The film’s Premiere at the CCAJ festival in Paris will be in June next year 2025, just as it was this year in Lisbon 2024 so the goal is for the latest film to be finished by then! People can follow us on Instagram at cinema_tak3 to stay up to date with South African local and other screenings etc.