Key Sentence:
- Lesotho The very First Oscar record, “It’s not a funeral, it’s a resurrection,” will be on loan from DStv BoxOffice on July 2.
- The director deliberately set this date to honor their lead actress Mary Twala Mlongo, who died on July 4.
This is the first Lesotho film by director Mosotho Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese to be screened internationally. Critics acclaimed the film as one of the best at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. It premiered in January of that year and received a special award for visionary films from the World Cinema Dramatic Jury.
He continues to travel the world and won 26 other local and international awards. This visually stunning drama in the mountains of Lesotho takes place with an old widow named Mantra (Mary Twala Mlongo) grieving over her son.
Determined to die and rest with his family, his plans are shattered when he learns that his village and graveyard will be flooded and forcibly repopulated to make way for a dam. But, by refusing to let the dead become contaminated, he finds a new will to live and ignites a spirit of collective challenge in his community.
“It’s very challenging to get our film in theaters during a pandemic,” said producer Kate Pansegru. “There was great concern for people’s health and safety, and this was reflected in our numbers, so the film was taken off the chain after a short broadcast due to insufficient demand.
“We are delighted that BoxOffice DSTV allows viewers to safely test our film at home on the anniversary concerning the death of our beloved Ma Mary,” added Pansegrouw. This premiered in January like such year and accepted a particular honor for romantic films of the World Cinema Dramatic Jury. The film also stars film and television icon Jerry Mofokeng Wa Maheta.
