Jerusalema

Greetings fellows, it’s been a long time. However, I need to share my distress.

It was rather sad for me when I received NFVF "newsletter" last week with exactly one story, informing all the recipients of this “OSCARS NEWSLETTER" of the failure for Jerusalema to make it for Best Foreign Language Film category nominations with the Oscar awards.

For those of you friends who receive FEPACI newsletter, the review that I did on Jerusalema Click for article published on the September issue, will remember my outlook on the film. What really baffles me is that one would think at this initiation stage of our country to the industry, all stakeholders would support and encourage initiatives like the making of Jerusalema. Look, having studied film and all, I earnestly would highly recommend production of films that are of high standard, that award consideration to the necessary rules in the game. Of course criticism should be there and is expected for a creative piece in order to encourage even more challenging products for the future. Is it called constructive criticism? However, I found it rather strange when the NFVF on the 8th of December 2008, published a rather strongly negative article by Ntate Don Matterra on Jerusalema click for article. Going back to the article today one wonders, was there great anticipation for Jerusalema not to make it through the Oscars? Are we really already in the stage of discouraging films of this caliber made in our country? I suggest we allow the passionate to populate our industry with great stories because this is only the beginning and we need to make a mark globally for our Film industry to grow!