Tanzania has made its second-ever entry to the best international feature award at the Oscars, and first for 21 years, with Amil Shivji’s romantic drama Tug Of War.
Tug Of War had its world premiere in the Discovery section of last year’s Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), becoming the first Tanzanian film ever selected for the festival.
It now follows Maangamizi: The Ancient One, Tanzania’s entry to the 2002 awards, in representing the East African nation.
After TIFF, Tug Of War went on to play Seattle International Film Festival, where it won a special jury prize in the New Directors Competition.
The film is produced by Steven Markovitz for South Africa’s Big World Cinema and Shivji for Tanzania’s Kijiweni Productions.
Based on a screenplay by Shivji and Jenna Cato Bass, the film is adapted from Shafi Adam Shafi’s Swahili novel in which a rebellious young revolutionary becomes involved with a Indian-Zanzibari girl escaping an oppressive arranged marriage.
It is Shivji’s second feature, after 2017’s T-Junction, which premiered at Zanzibar International Film Festival. Markovitz’ producer credits include Wanuri Kahiu’s Cannes 2018 title Rafiki.
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