Bala Bala Ssese movie premieres
The cast and crew of the movie. Photo by Michael Kakumirizi
Excellent storytelling, the kind that grandparents told around a fireplace fit so well into the modern auditorium at Theatre La Bonita last Friday. The premiere of Bala Bala Ssese gathered a few Ugandans who know how dress for the Red Carpet.
In her crop top and red African print skirt, Natasha Sinayobe the movie’s lead actress took to the red carpet with fans as paparazzi snapped away.
A-Pass, Julie Underwood, Don Mc, Gyant Maru, Matt Bish and Ali Mutaka were very optimistic about the success of Ugandan film if local folk begin supporting local content.
They showed solidarity with first time film producer, Bashir Lukyamuzi of Badi World.
It doesn’t hit you instantly that there is a theme on HIV surrounding this movie until Elena (Fiona Birungi) who moves to the city from rural Ssese Islands is hit by a chronic cough. The better part of the story is another Shakespearean teaser into the challenges of true love.
Natasha Sinayobe who transforms into a naive village girl, Maggie, defies her father, Kasirivu (Raymond Rushabiro)’s wishes to marry her off to the village tycoon Zeus (Jabal Dungu), because she is desperately in love with John (Micheal Kasaija).
Zeus infects Elena on his rampant promiscuous parades in the city, that John discovers his misdeeds and secures his Maggie, while his brother Alex (Ismael Ssesanga) loses Elena to AIDS.
This love affair is told fully in Luganda, with narration by Ashraf Semwogerere. Osama Mukwaya did justice to the script, which subtitles in English.
The audience was treated to music from Badi World, Ebonies’ Fauzia Nakiboneka who impressed with her African (Nigerian) single Just A Woman and A-Pass whose Wuuyo is sound track for the movie and shares footage for his music video closed the night.
