Namibia’s Hairareb nominated for another award
Critically acclaimed, multiple-award winning Namibian movie Hairareb is on its way to Zambian audiences, with a nomination for Best Feature Film at the 9th SOTAMBE International Film Festival taking place in Lusaka, Zambia, from 17 to 24 September.The film will be making its Zambian debut at festival, hosted by the SOTAMBE Film Institute (SFI), a Zambian institution established in 2014 that focuses on supporting the film industry in Zambia and Southern Africa.
The festival includes various activities like movie screenings, press briefings, Master Classes, networking cocktails, workshops and art exhibitions.
Hairareb has already achieved a number of continental accolades, including winning the coveted Best Movie Southern Africa at the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Award Ceremony in Lagos, Nigeria earlier this year.
The film was also nominated for Best Feature Narrative at the 30th Annual Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) in Los Angeles and received the Best Narrative Film, Best Director, and the Best Male Actor Award for the late veteran actor David Ndjavera at the Namibian Theatre and Film Awards.
Hairareb also garnered international acclaim, featuring in numerous prestigious international film festivals as an official selection, including the European Film Festival and the Durban International Film Festival.
Hairareb is a two-time Official 2021 Dikalo Award Winner, receiving a Best Actress Award for Hazel Hinda and a Special Mention from the Jury for Feature Length Fiction at the "Festival International du Film PanAfricain de Cannes". The film had the honour of opening the festival on the evening of 19 October 2021, at the Espace Miramar in Cannes, France.
Hazel Hinda also collected a second award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Hairareb at the Africa Movie Academy Awards in Lagos in 2021, where the film was nominated in seven categories.
Hairareb is based on a book by August C. Bikeur, previously performed as a radio play in Damara Nama and later developed into a script by Aina Ligola Kwedhi. Funded by the Namibia Film Commission, the film is executive produced by Dantagos Jimmy-Melani, with Ellen Ernst as producer, and directed by Oshoveli Shipoh. The film stars the late David Ndjavera, Claudine de Groot, Hazel Hinda and Maximilian Kadeen Kaoseb.
A tribute to Namibian cinematography and storytelling, the tale is told through the eyes of one of Namibia’s oldest and most deeply rooted tribes, capturing love during a time of devastating drought, and hence a fitting representation of Namibian cinema for both local and international audiences.