Shemu Joyah’s meticulous attention for perfection ‘should serve as an inspiration and a blueprint for those willing to go the extra mile in filmmaking’

* Short film on Rev. John Chilembwe ‘Strike A Blow and Die’ has been nominated for the prestigious African Film Academy Awards

* This milestone is a testament not just to his skill but to the importance of investing time and effort into every aspect of filmmaking

By Duncan Mlanjira

Stage play producer and director, Fumban Innot Phiri has heaped profound praise of Charles Shemu Joyah’s meticulous attention for perfection in the production of 14-minute short film on Rev. John Chilembwe ‘Strike A Blow and Die’.

It has been nominated for the prestigious African Film Academy Awards  Innot Phiri emphasised that the nomination alone “should serve as an inspiration and a blueprint for those willing to go the extra mile in filmmaking”.

Innot Phiri made the observation on Facebook, entitle ‘Lessons to learn from Strike A Blow and Die’ and gave a background that over four years ago, Shemu Joyah watched his stage play, ‘Operation Mandala 1915’ — also about Rev John Chilembwe Uprising in 1915.

Innot Phiri said the stage drama piece took him five years of research, development, and then rehearsal before premiering it in 2019.

“The play depicted the events surrounding John Chilembwe’s uprising, a pivotal moment in Malawi’s history,” he said. “After the show, Shemu Joyah, already renowned for his meticulous approach to filmmaking, shared his thoughts.

“He praised the depth of the work and hinted at something that filled me with excitement — his plans to produce a film about John Chilembwe. Fast forward to today, and his film, ‘Strike A Blow and Die’, has been nominated for the prestigious African Film Academy Awards.

“This milestone is a testament not just to his skill but to the importance of investing time and effort into every aspect of filmmaking. As filmmakers, there’s a lot we can learn from Shemu’s journey.

“His nomination isn’t just about the end product; it’s about the years of careful preparation. From the earliest stages of development, filmmakers should prioritise research, story development, building the right team, and securing proper funding.

“Shemu didn’t rush the process. He understood that telling a story as profound as that of Rev. John Chilembwe required depth, precision and patience.

“The five years I spent working on ‘Operation Mandala 1915’ gave me a deep appreciation for the power of time and careful preparation in storytelling. It’s easy to imagine the magnitude of effort that Shemu put into ‘Strike A Blow and Die’ to capture the essence of Chilembwe’s story on film.

“It’s a film that speaks to our history, and you can’t rush that kind of storytelling. It requires careful attention to the details, to the emotions, and to the truth.

“For many filmmakers today, there’s a tendency to rush into projects, driven by the allure of fame or the desire to get the next big hit — but true success in filmmaking comes from investing in the process.

“It’s not just about getting a film out there; it’s about crafting something that resonates, that endures, and that carries a piece of our history or culture with integrity.

“This requires deep research, selecting a skilled and passionate team, and ensuring that there is sufficient funding to support the vision. Rushed films rarely stand the test of time because they lack the foundational work that makes stories impactful.”

Looking at Shemu Joyah’s work and his process for ‘Strike A Blow and Die’, Innot Phiri urged fellow filmmakers to reconsider the rush for film fame, saying: “Take the time to invest in your stories — dive deep into the research, understand your characters and history, and build strong collaborations.

“The result will not only be films that stand out but ones that make a lasting impact, much like Shemu’s has already done. As filmmakers, let’s aim not just to produce films but to create legacies.

“The recognition and awards will follow naturally when the foundation is strong. Shemu’s journey with ‘Strike A Blow and Die’ should serve as an inspiration and a blueprint for those willing to go the extra mile in filmmaking.”

Meanwhile, the 14-minute short film is available on iPlus Play that was premiered on Saturday, November 9 and the multi-award winning through; ‘Seasons of a Life’, ‘The Last Fishing Boat’ and ‘Road to Sunrise’, told Malawi News Agency (MANA) that he decided to use the iPlus Play online platform where people will be expected pay about K1,000 and “watch as much as they like”.

“That is a better way at the moment but when we are going to produce another film for 1 hour or 2 hours, we will justify going to the theatre,” said Joyah, adding that Malawi has few theatres specifically meant for cinema such that it’s expensive to premier a 14-minute film.”

He indicated that he started researching on how to produce a film on John Chilembwe in 2007, by writing proposals to people who could fund the project, but the funding was not forthcoming: “However, l knew that these people might not have a picture of what the movie will be like.

“This also happens even in America or Britain when one has an idea but doesn’t have funds, one just produces some scenes for people to appreciate of what one is talking about.”

Joyah said an idea for a short film came so that people should appreciate that he also has the ability to do something bigger that this, adding that this will not be the end of the story.

“This is just a promo that will help us to raise funds to produce a full movie and be able to use it on a big market,” he added.

Tawonga Taddja Nkhonjera also responded to Innot Phiri post, attesting that Shemu Joyah’s dream to film the life of Rev. John Chilembwe as indeed shared a long time back.

He revealed that in 2010, Shemu Joyah attended the premiere of the stage play, ‘Malawi Kwacha’ and at the end of the close of the curtain he mentioned that he intended to make the Rev John Chilembwe film.

“I immediately booked myself an audition. I’ll even do the white people roles if I don’t get any Malawian role. Memory Black Nkata will do the whiteface.”

Ngwenyama Nkhata also agreed with Innot Phiri observation: “Well articulated and its true that rushing when doing things is not good. When you’re doing something that took place way back, you need to be cautious because people already know part of what you want to tell.”

In his interview with MANA last week, Shemu Joyah said: “As most Malawians lack a culture of reading, then visuals would help people understand him better — this is why I felt that producing this film would help people understand better about life of Chilembwe.”

He emphasised that ‘Strike a Blow and Die’ is a burning story that will educate, entertain and inform Malawians and movie lovers of the better part of Rev. John Chilembwe.