SPEAK OUT!
A film on democratic participation of citizens in Uganda
"According to the script writer Kwezi Kaganda Ruyinda, “People need a chance to express themselves and the choice is yours to speak for yourself or others to speak for you.”
The 60-minute movie is based in a small village town known as Kwabiike and symbolic of any other village or town. The residents are fed up of the LC Chairman, Mugoodi – played by Patricko Mujuuka.
He is a crook who has received money from government to repair the road. But he diverts the money to build a house for his wife as a surprise birthday present. At the same time he is having an extra-marital relationship with his secretary Lydia.
Yakobo, the protagonist and opinion leader in the village lands in prison for an accident in which he was actually the victim and Mugoodi, the perpetrator.
However, Mugoodi bails Yakobo out of prison as a way of winning over the weary public. But his plan backfires because Yakobo is an upright and honest man. The producer portrays how corruption has eaten up the nation right to the grassroots.
Balaba, a boda boda rider, played by Richard Tuwangye, rallies the community to stand up and fight for its rights. Namudali, another politician who is vying for the LC III post calls in journalists to cover the story.
However, not all media houses are objective, the radios report correctly but one newspaper, Atom Newspaper gives a whole different account of the story. The producer shows how not all media houses are impartial and in a subtle way hits at them.
The media partiality leads to an uproar amongst the villagers who resolve to burn down Mugoodi’s house. But the police are there to rescue Mugoodi from the angry mob. Mugoodi’s walls come tumbling down when his superior, the LC III chairman, hears about what is going on in Kabwiike. Mugoodi is forced to confess his sins and resign.
At the climax, sanity is restored in the village, the people are finally happy and construction of the road starts. This production is short and to the point, and the lighting is perfect.
The plot may not be all that original but the execution was a masterpiece."
Written by FELIX EUPAL
Sunday, 24 January 2010 15:51
THE OBSERVER
http://www.observer.ug/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6920:speak-out-movie-raises-the-bar&catid=42:sizzling-entertainment&Itemid=74
Background
Over the past decades millions of people in Africa have paid a high price for the absence of good governance. Development on the continent has been retarded through high levels of corruption, lack of accountability and the general absence of good governance. Democracy is generally weak in most of Africa.
In 2005, Uganda transited to a multiparty political system from a movement system under which the country had been governed for over 20 years. This transition was expected to strengthen democracy and good governance. However, several challenges still exist. Among these challenges include; corruption, low levels of accountability by political leaders, divisions within the population on the basis of belonging to different political parties, ethinicities etc.
The film uses drama to highlight key issues of democracy and democratic processes.
http://www.kas.de/proj/home/events/36/1/veranstaltung_id-39351/index.html
Visit
http://www.greatlakesfilm.com
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