Been looking forward to this: today I spoke to Tendaiishe Chitima who plays Anesu in @CookOffZim, Zimbabwe’s first ever film on Netflix. Loved Tendai& #39;s character when I watched the film 3 weeks ago: a single mum, pushed by her son & her grandmother to enter a cooking competition.
Tendai& #39;s brilliant in the film! I loved @CookOffZim first of all because it tells another kind of story from Zimbabwe, one that’s less in the news headlines but is no less true, a story about real life hopes, determination and loyalty.
I loved Tendai’s tips to young Zimbabwean aspiring actresses: ‘Do your research, train hard to ground yourself and then collaborate and be proactive. It’s tough - if you’re not working hard you’re doing something wrong. But if you can apply those things, you should go for it!’
Tendai had a shout-out for @zwbritish for supporting creative industry hubs in Zimbabwe. Platformer gives Zimbabwean creatives a platform to share their content globally. Maybe @netflix will pick them up too!
Cook Off& #39;s success, Tendai’s talent & the resourcefulness of the team give me faith in the creativity & enterprise that exist here. We& #39;ll keep working hard to support young Zimbabweans so they can continue to do their work & connect globally, following Tendai’s message of hope.
I was so struck by Tendai’s belief that telling authentic stories of ordinary Zimbabweans succeeding can inspire her fellow countrypeople to keep going and follow their dreams.