In the glow of London’s Africa Film Festival, Adelaide Segan Ganyani’s cinematic star rises a little higher in her latest creation Rum and Roots soaring to an international stage that champions Africa’s most inventive storytellers.
For Ganyani, a Zimbabwean filmmaker, poet, writer and now a celebrated figure among global creatives, the festival was more than a screening.
It was a moment of cultural exchange, artistic affirmation and a powerful reminder that African stories, when told authentically, can travel the world with grace and resonance.
The AI-generated short film, Rum and Roots, captivated audiences at the Royal Studio, where viewers were transported to the sun-drenched landscapes of rural Hwange.
The applause that followed was not just for the film’s exquisite cinematography or its evocative sound design, but for its heartfelt narrative, a tale that blends tradition, identity, and the quiet magic of ancestral memory.
At the heart of the story is Zuri, a curious Black American explorer who arrives in Hwange to film a wildlife documentary. But nature offers more than what her lens captures.
She encounters Tinashe, a reserved yet determined young villager resurrecting his family’s traditional winemaking craft.
What begins as a sip of his artisanal baobab wine soon unfurls into something deeper: a shared journey of self-discovery, heritage and creative passion.
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Through their blossoming bond, Rum and Roots becomes a celebration of Zimbabwe’s cultural heartbeat, its ancient plant lore, sacred rituals and the enduring pull of home.
Tinashe’s dedication to preserving his lineage stirs Zuri to explore her own identity, while her adventurous spirit awakens in him a renewed belief in his dreams. The film’s warmth lies not only in their chemistry but in the way Ganyani braids old-world tradition with modern introspection.
Fresh from London, Ganyani is already envisioning the future. Her goal is to expand Rum and Roots to a full-length international feature and assembling a team capable of elevating Zimbabwean cinema to thrilling new heights. She sees film not just as art but as a cultural passport and an opportunity to carry
African narratives across borders and into global consciousness.
Her rising influence has not gone unnoticed. Saint Tropez VIP Magazine recently profiled her in the feature Adelaïde Segan Ganyani: A Trailblazing Zimbabwean Storyteller Empowering African Narratives, celebrating her innovative fusion of tradition and cutting-edge technology. Her philosophy is simple yet profound: “Every story deserves to be heard, every frame deserves to be felt.”
With each screening, interview and creative milestone, Ganyani is doing more than filmmaking, she is placing Zimbabwe on the world’s cinematic map. Her passion for storytelling, her dedication to heritage and her fearless experimentation with new technologies paint a powerful picture of what African cinema can become. Rum and Roots marks a new chapter in the life of Ganyani.
