BEDFORDSHIRE — Award-winning Zimbabwean filmmaker Joe Njagu is in the United Kingdom to work with Dr Agnieszka Piotrowska, a leading academic at the University of Bedfordshire and an acclaimed filmmaker.
Njagu was the recipient of the Best Director’s Award at the International American Film Festival in 2012 for his acclaimed feature film The Gentleman.
Njagu and Piotrowska are currently working on an edit of an experimental drama documentary shot earlier this year in Zimbabwe and connected to the play which Piotrowska produced and directed for the Harare International Festival of the Arts in May 2014.
“The play, entitled Lovers in Time and written by Blessing Hungwe, was named the ‘most controversial production’ during the festival,” Piotrowska said:
“Njagu was both my co-producer and the director of photography during the shoot of the film which is now in post-production.
“It is very exciting to continue this collaboration beyond the experience of the shoot in Zimbabwe and it is wonderful to be able to host Joe (Njagu) here in the UK. His input to the film is invaluable.”
Njagu added: “I am delighted to be able to assist Agnieszka with the edit of this exciting film. She and I are developing other projects too with a number of collaborators in Zimbabwe and in Europe.”
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The work of Dr Piotrowska and Njagu is an example of the university’s commitment to enabling international collaborations.
Piotrowska is the course leader for the MA in Creative Digital Film Production and MSc in Digital Production and Technology. She is also the Reader in Film Practice and Theory at the Media Arts and Production Department at the university.
“We are committed to giving our undergraduate and postgraduate students the best possible opportunities in terms of their employment and career outlook,” Piotrowska said.
One example is Tendai Mudhliwa, a recent graduate of the Faculty.
Mudhliwa, who is from Zimbabwe, was supposed to premier her first feature film at the university two days ago.
Maria’s Vision is about a Zimbabwean living in Luton, who has to drop her principals and integrity in the face of difficult situations.
