More Time (film)
More Time is a Zimbabwean film which was mainly concerned with the fate of hormonal female teenagers, seeks to educate teenagers like Thandiwe (Prudence Katomeni) about the lesson that, with HIV/AIDS destroying so many youthful lives, ‘playing with love’ may also mean playing with life itself.
Background
More Time explored the effects of AIDS on teenage relationships and ends with a plea for ‘awareness and safer behaviour’; Thandiwe was a teenage protagonist who began it all with her search for a boyfriend. More Time depicted the consequences of the naive and rushed decisions made by teenagers through the characterisation of Pamela. It was through Pamela that the consequences were made quite manifest. Pamela fell pregnant, dropped out of school, and tested HIV positive. Her baby died of the virus.
In More Time, the hormones of all teenagers were literally running riot and the teenagers became aloof and incommunicative, especially to their parents, until the lesson was learnt in the end. The ‘eruptions’ in the teenagers’ hormonal development were cited, in part, as the source of the vulnerability of girls and boys, hence some teenagers like Thandi made a virginity pledge.
More Time ended on the usual NGO-film themed-sloganeering note, with all the teenage actors involved in the campaigns for an ‘HIV/AIDS-free’ generation and Thandi making a virginity pledge. Even Pamela, though already infected, got some of her confidence back and joined her peers in the campaign. This manufactured plot sequence explained why the National AIDS Control Programme in Botswana chipped in with a production grant for the film, with a further commitment for a Setswana dub of the finished film. The closing shot of More Time showed the ghetto in the image of an afflicted place, with many dangers for the youths. Unfortunately, the sources of the problems were not deeply probed in this film or in other NGO-films.
Full Cast and Crew
- Director - Isaac Mabhikwa
- Producer - John Riber
- Producer - Louise Riber
- Executive Producer - Ben Zulu
- Writer - Lazarus Fungurani
- Writer - John Riber
- Writer - Andrew Whaley
Cast
- Misheck Gasha (Teacher at fight)
- Webster Gonzo (David)
- Ndumiso Gumede (Baba Ncube)
- Prudence Katomeni (Thandiwe)
- Winnet Kawome (Precious)
- Mike Khuphe (Jeki)
- Nozithelo Mabaleka (Zibusiso)
- Isaac Mabhikwa (Lovemore)
- Cynthia Mandivenga (Pamela)
- Anna Manimanzi (Melody)
- Tawona Maraire (Sipho)
- Portia Mazhindu (Sandra)
- Beatrice Mushazhirwa (Pharmacy saleslady)
- Violet Ndlovu (Gogo)
- Jane Nhukarume (Referee/Teacher)
- Barbara Nkala (Madawu)
- Panganai Sharawakanda (Ndaba)
- Stewart Sakarombe (Sydney)
- Nonhlanhla Sithole (Auntie Zodwa)
- Richfield Zinyemba (Spokes)
- Fishoo Tembo (Pharmacist)
- Paul Nyathi (Malume Joe)
