Godwin Mawuru
| Godwin Mawuru | |
|---|---|
| Born | Godwin Mawuru July 15, 1961 Shamva, Zimbabwe |
| Died | May 24, 2013 (aged 51) Parirenyatwa Hospital |
| Cause of death | Diabetes |
| Resting place | Gutu |
| Education | Chimimba Secondary School |
| Occupation | Filmmaker and producer |
| Known for | The popular film Neria as well as the producer of Studio 263 |
| Spouse(s) | Tsitsi |
| Children | Joe and Rumbidzai |
Godwin Mawuru was a Zimbabwean director and producer. He is internationally best known for the 1993 film Neria. As a producer, he is best known for the Zimbabwean first and longest running soap opera Studio 263.
Background
Mawuru was born on 15 July 1961 and died on 24 May 2013 at the age of 51. He was born in Shamva. He was married to Tsitsi and the couple had two children Joe and Rumbidzai. After being involved in theater for several years, Mawuru began working as an actor and scriptwriter for film and television.
Education
He attended Shamva Primary School before proceeding to Chimimba Secondary School in Mount Darwin, Mashonaland Central.[1]
Career
Mawuru started his career on stage in the early eighties, working in various areas including acting, directing and working backstage. He made his debut as director with the 1987 film The Tree Is Mine. He is internationally best known for the 1993 film Neria. As a producer, he is best known for the Zimbabwean first and longest running soap opera Studio 263.
He rose from humble beginnings and without the advantage of accessing colleges and university education in theatre and film, Godwin Mawuru’s achievements in the theatre and audio-visual industries are no mean achievements that can escape the attention of the nation. So far, it seems that Zimbabwe has not woken up to the realisation of the enormous contributions to the development of Zimbabwean theatre and film practice made by this departed hero of Zimbabwean arts.
He had a chance to be in South Africa lecturing film for 3 years and that is when he conceded that Zimbabwe has talent even way more than South Africa. Some of his students were the ones doing great work on the likes of Isidingo and Generations, just to mention a few.[2]
Mawuru was apprenticed by such theatre gurus as Ben Sibenke, Kathy Kuleya and Carl Dorn who embraced his inquisitive mind by offering him opportunities to put his hand on different aspects of theatre in that powerhouse known a People’s Theatre Company. His next port of call in apprenticeship was the period of handling television cameras and other television production gadgets at the National Sports Stadium where he grabbed the opportunity offered by the company that operated the giant televisions screen in the giant stadium.
His six months attachment to the National Film Board of Canada in Montreal after Neria, was another crucial step in learning the art of filmmaking through timely and appropriate apprenticeship. When he returned home, Mawuru put into practice not just the filmmaking ideas he had gathered but began a process of using his production house as a solid base for the apprenticeship of young film enthusiasts in all aspects of film production.
His Work
He led in the successful production of 2000 episodes of a popular soap opera shown on national television, Studio 263.
He was one of the two young Zimbabwean film enthusiasts to attract the confidence of John and Louise Riber and Ben Zulu of the Media for Development Trust to direct the phenomenal film project “Neria” that featured “godfathers” of Zimbabwean theatre.
In the early 1980s, he spent some time doing theatre work before getting into filming. In theatre, he worked in various areas including acting, directing and working backstage. Since 1986, Mawuru had worked on several local and international films. In 1987, he produced and directed his first production entitled The Tree Is Mine. His second production as a director was a film titled Facilitation Techniques In Training. Popular film Neria was his third production.
Death
Mawuru died of diabetes complications in the morning of May 2013 at Parirenyatwa Hospital.
Awards
- OAU award for Best Director at the Carthage Film Festival for Neria.[3]
