From Sunday 7 December, Mzansi Magic viewers will be transported to the lush lands of the Eastern Cape for the channel’s first ever isiMpondo drama series, Mpondoland. Behind this ground-breaking and ambitious project are co-executive producers Chumisa Cosa and Mmamitse Thibedi of Origins Pictures, who worked with shared passion for authentic storytelling and the preservation of culture, which are at the heart of Mpondoland.
With cultural richness at the centre of the show’s creative vision, Thibedi and Cosa were happy to sit down and talk about what it takes to bring a story of heritage and magic to life.
MM: How do you decide on the visual style and tone for the series?
MT: The creative process is layered. Personally, I try to listen to the project and let it direct me. For example, one of the core visual themes of Mpondoland was Isinuka, an existing body of water in Port St Johns with healing powers. We went there on one of our research trips, got into the water, and observed people as they performed their traditional rites there. Watched them pray. We watched the landscape, observed the cows that sit by the beaches. Looked at the magical green landscape. From all those visual signifiers and the stories or the people we spoke to, we knew there was something magical about the people, so it was very clear that our show would have elements of magic realism and fantasy.
MM: What role does location play in the overall creative process?
MT: A huge role. The actual location inspired every aspect of our design and our big question was: How do we make what we have seen look and feel even better, larger than life, and more aspirational?
MM: What was the most valuable lesson you learned from this production?
MT: That enough pre-production time makes a huge difference.
MM: If you could change one thing about the process on your last show, what would it be?
MT: Only start shooting a drama series with the scripts fully written.
MM: What do you think are the biggest challenges facing the industry today?
MT: The industry risks stagnation because we don’t have a proper plan for skills transfer at both junior and senior levels.
MM: What is the long-term vision for the series?
MT: More seasons!!!
Watch Mpondoland, premiering on Sunday 7 December at 20:00, only on Mzansi Magic (DStv Channel 161).
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