THE late modelling guru Kiki Divaris, born Vassiliki Babaletakis Divaris, played an instrumental role in the production of the just-finished, but yet to be released feature film titled Chinhoyi 7, produced by Canadian-based Zimbabwean film maker Moses Matanda.
BY WINSTONE ANTONIO
Divaris voluntarily offered her leafy Alexandra Park house to depict the mansion of the former Rhodesian Prime Minister Ian Douglas Smith.
Matanda, who directed the two-hour film, which chronicles the famous battle of Chinhoyi that ignited the Second Chimurenga in 1966, has since dedicated it to Divaris.
Speaking to NewsDay, Matanda said his decision to honour the modelling guru was moved by her generous donation of her home, in support of the growth of Zimbabwean arts industry.
“Cash is not the only form of support one can extend to assist the growth of our struggling film Industry, but location is very important in the film industry. For a month, Kiki Divaris housed more than 50 actors and provided them with food, which she personally prepared during the shoot of part of the scenes of the movie,” Matanda said.
“She gave our international acts a five-star treatment, offering all of the rooms at her house, including her own bedroom, and for such an enormous contribution, she deserves to be honoured, hence the decision to dedicate Chinhoyi 7 to her.”
Matanda said although Kiki would not be appearing in the movie, her name would be credited among the list of those people who contributed and supported the production of the film.
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“It is sad that Chinhoyi 7 will be released in the absence of Kiki, but she will still be remembered for the pivotal role she played during the shoot. She told me that she would have wanted to watch it (Chinhoyi 7) seated with President Robert Mugabe, because of his role in the liberation struggle,” Matanda said.
Government declared Divaris a liberation war heroine, allowing her a State-assisted funeral.
She was buried at the Pioneer Cemetery in Harare.
Meanwhile, Matanda defended the delay in availing the movie to the market, saying mastery was not a day’s job.
“With this film, we seek to correct the misconceptions about the country’s liberation struggle by telling the story from a Zimbabwean angle, as we want to market the nation as a safe tourist destination and correct wrong images that have been portrayed by the Western media,” he said.
“I am happy that we have managed to produce a world-class project, Chinhoyi 7 film, which is not a rushed project, but of international standards and quality. The combination of local and foreign actors has facilitated the portrayal of the movie’s theme,” Matanda said.
He said the film featured both international and local actors, among them Julian Shaw from Britain and Cynthia Stone from Canada, gospel singer Fungisai Zvakavapano-Mashavave as Sarudzai, a housemaid working at a Rhodesian army general’s house, poet Albert Nyathi as the late uMdala Wethu Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo and Edmore Sandiforo, popularly known as Chabvonga in the television drama series, Tiriparwendo.
Matanda boasts that his productions was shot using latest technology at different sites of the country to portray different events of the war, which include Domboshava, Victoria Falls, Mutarazi Falls and other tourist destinations.
