Premiere of film ‘A Love Like This’ |15 July 2016

‘The journey has just begun for African stories, African actors and African markets’

The red carpet premiere of ‘A Love Like This’ on Wednesday evening at Deepam Cinema has been described by one of the producers, Rahul Nehra, as the beginning of a journey by ‘The Africa Film Factory’ which will be of African stories, African actors and of African markets.

As the evening unfolded with bated expectations, the producers – SBC & Africa Film Factory with High Street Riviera – left the verdict of the film to the viewers, to play jury to the home production.
Two hours later…. euphoria broke out.... humming jets, luxury yachts, love, laughter and finally teary eyed viewers who gave the film a standing ovation and indeed there was a sense of bravado in the air. The model had worked and the International African Cinema Model was created.

The film is directed by Chandran Rutnam, produced by the Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) and Rajiv Punater and Rahul Neghra of High Street Riviera Entertainment and The Film Factory with Associate Producer Colombo Film Academy & Studios.
It features casts from different countries of the African continent and the technical people behind it from the director who is Sri Lankan, the technical staff some of them Indian, Sri Lankans and Seychellois, South Africans, Nigerians, among other nationalities.

Person after person who watched the film said they would cherish and remember this for a long time. Be it the teenager of 18 years of age as well as the grandma at 80, who were specially invited for the screening, both had a sense of joy and bliss as the African Love Story concluded on the screen.

The film revolves around a rich high-flying instructor, son and heir to a powerful politician and a simple girl from a humble background. They fell in love, got married but life played truant on them.
Various dignitaries and those who contributed towards the filming were at the premiere, including production team director Sri Lankan Chandran Rutnam, producers Rajiv Punater and Rahul Nehra of High Street Riviera Entertainment.

Explaining how the whole project came about, Antoine Onezime, chief executive of SBC, said the project started back in 2013 with the Southern African Broadcasting Association (SABA)  where they were thinking how do we create content for the African continent in positive light away from what we see on our television screen on a daily basis, like poverty, hunger and war just to name some.
“With the advent of digital terrestrial television, which is multi-channelled, we have to create content for our audiences. And we were thinking how do we do that and how do we reflect ourselves to our audiences,” said Mr Onezime.
Then there was the idea of co-partnership, co-production and among themselves on the African continent they know their limitation. Therefore they were fortunate enough to have some partners from India who offered to work with them.
“From 2014 onwards, SABA agreed to partner with the African Film Factory to produce films on different African countries. And we were chosen as the first destination where the first film will be shot,” remarked Mr Onezime.
He added for the SBC this venture has first of all it allowed the corporation to train their staff in different aspects of film production like exposure in lighting, sound, filming, directing, logistics, to name some.
“It is one of our ambitions to produce films in Seychelles. At SBC we are investing in people and technology,” he added.
Mr Onezime expressed his gladness about the film, describing it as the first of its kind with casts from different countries of the African continent and the technical people behind it from the director who is Sri Lankan, the technical staff some of them Indian, Sri Lankans and Seychellois, South Africans, Nigerians and others. Special words of thanks went to Rajiv and Rahul for their investment in the film.

As for director Chandran Rutnam he had the great experience to shoot the film and he had one thing to say about the film:
“It’s not the subject matter that is important about the film. It is what we did with the film – the concept and what these individuals like Rahul and Rajiv created,” he said.
Mr Ratnam said he was a bit sceptical about the concept of bringing together actors from various parts of Africa. And as Rahul and Rajiv are very adamant about things, he said, with the help of Mr Onezime they put this film together.
“This is a model affair. We should record this concept of making a movie and we should make a documentary about it because I don’t think anybody has done something like this before, not in this part of the world,” he said remarking it was the greatest experience for him.
As Rajiv’s roots lie in East Africa, he always dreamt of doing something in that continent where he believes it has come out very well.

He thanked SBC, especially Mr Onezime, for believing in the idea and want to take this forward in the years to come.
Rahul said the vision was nicely accepted by Mr Onezime and a lot of honest effort had been put in creating this programme.
“For us this is the beginning of the journey ‘The Africa Film Factory’. Come December we will have the second film and by March/April we will have the third film which will be African stories, African actors, African markets… we like to be a medium to make this happen,” he said.
The movie goes into the theatres across South Africa, Nigeria, Tanzania and Kenya in October 2016 and reaches the shores of North America and Europe in November.
The movie will traverse the journey of the award circuit starting November across Africa, Europe, South America and Asia.

CAST:
Nigerian star Gabriel Afolayan plays the male lead Akim. Gabriel is an actor, singer and dancer. Akim is an aeronautical engineering instructor who falls in love despite all odds. South African actress Shoki Mokgapa is Nalidi. She is Akim’s love interest but she is from a modest background with aspirations to become a pilot but unable to afford the programme. Seychellois Camilla Estico is Nalidi’s best friend. Seychellois Aaron Jean is Akim’s best friend and room mate. Robert Bresson who is of Seychellois descent but living in Kenya is Nalidi’s father. And Tanzanian actor, Ahmed Olotu plays Akim’s stubborn, opinionated and class conscious father.

FILM SYNOPSIS
A ‘never seen before’ romance which blooms in an aeronautical institute, ‘A Love Like This’ is the story of Akim, a rich high flying instructor, son and heir to a powerful politician, and Nalidi, a simple girl from a humble background. After her mum died, Akim left home and spent his life in an aeronautical institute as a flying instructor. It was there he met Nalidi.
All is well as they fall in love and get married, until one fateful day when life takes an unexpected turn. Akim and Nalidi discovered Nalidi had cancer and was in her last days of the disease.
Ultimately, it is the heart that wins over the mind and love emerges triumphant. But not for long … as destiny has a plan of its own for the inseparable couple, and as life plays truant.
Nalidi succumbed to the disease and died. Akim never reconciliated with his father and just took off to the sky after his beloved wife’s death.
The film is shot in a real aircraft academy with authentic aeronautical engineering infrastructure.
It is helmed by an Asian Hollywood director, features top superstars from Nigeria, Tanzania, Kenya and South Africa, and the former Miss Seychelles. Music is composed by a talented Nollywood singer and composer.