The story is about a young cricket player, James, played by Prince Madondo, who is diagnosed with an incurable heart ailment and recoils to his rural home. He sets out to train the villagers the game of cricket as a way to keep his dream alive, but finds out it is virtually unknown. While trying to train them, he realises that the youths are political rivals who hate each other with a passion following the death of two brothers Victor and Webster at the hands of unknown assailants. The hate emanates from suspicion.
The film explodes into a series of events that culminate into brotherhood, sacrifice and political tolerance as the villages find each other through cricket. The Minister of Presidential Affairs for Harare Metropolitan Province, Cde Chikukwa, said the launch of the peace film is an initiative meant to bring lasting peace and unity to the people of Zimbabwe.
"Cdes and friends, the Organ on National Healing, Reconciliation and Integration would like to encourage all stakeholders to facilitate further dissemination of the message of peace and unity through the peace film and album so that Zimbabweans at large can benefit from the lessons drawn from these two communication mediums. These two products will not be for sale," she said.
Two Villages Apart is the first for director MacDonald Mabido, editor Carol Marufu, director of photography Admire Kuzhangaira, co-producer Kuda Moyo, line producer Morebrian Marara and Production Manager Lucky Aaron, all students from the Zimbabwe Film and Television School of Southern Africa (ZIFTESSA). The Health Advisor to the President and Cabinet, Dr Timothy Stamps, also graced the event. Several film makers, producers and actors attended the film launch. They include Marian Kunonga, Rufaro Kaseke, Pretty Xaba as well as musicians Baba Manyeruke and Pastor Haisa.
The producers of the upcoming movie 'Mayaya: The Seed of Corruption' have announced new dates for the premiere events to be held in Harare and Masvingo respectively. The new date of the Harare premiere is Friday 26 September 2014 at Ster-Kinekor's Eastgate Cinemas whilst Masvingo's Charles Austin Theatre will host the premiere event the following day, Saturday 27 September 2014. Both events will start at 6pm. This was announced during a press preview of the movie held at the Charles Austin Theatre in Masvingo last Friday 5 September. The preview which was attended by Masvingo filmmakers, local journalists, cast and crew of the feature film, was a welcomed development for Zimbabwe's film industry which is still in its infancy.
Commenting on the event, Sydney Taivavashe, a NAMA nominated filmmaker said the film was brilliant but needed some fine tuning to bed well with its professional soundtrack. Micah Zinduru, a scriptwriter, actor and director also said he had extremely enjoyed the film with just few concerns on minor lighting issues that local filmmakers are still battling with when it comes to indoor scenes.
'I would like to appreciate all who managed to make it for the preview' said Edward Chombe, the film producer and event organiser during the press preview. 'This is to show the media that a real product is being made and it is not just a marketing stunt'.
The film was written by David Dzatsunga as a theatre play some years back and was reconstituted into a feature film following the success of Sabhuku Vharazipi 2 which he also conceived. It is directed by a Semai Danha a Zimbabwe International Film and Television School of Southern Africa (ZIFTESSA) graduate and produced by Magical Films the producers of Sabhuku Vharazipi 2 and co-producers of the 2014 NAMA nominated film 'Through The Night'.