‘Tug of War’ — Film Review
“Tug of War” (Vuta N’Kuvute) debuted in Toronto’s Discovery section and made history as the first Tanzanian feature film to ever play at the Toronto International Film Festival, and the first Tanzanian period drama to be made and adapted from Adam Shafi’s award-winning Swahili novel.
Set in colonial-era Zanzibar, “Tug of War” tells the story of Denge (Gudrun Columbus Mwanyika), a young Mswahili revolutionary fighting for a free Zanzibar and Yasmin (Ikhlas Gafur Vora), a recent runaway Indian-Zanzibari bride whose equal rebelliousness drives her to seek her own forbidden freedom.
Director Amil Shivji’s inspiration for the film was sparked when he first read Shafi’s novel in high school. “It’s not only been a long time, but a tough one. It took a lot to make this film. It’s never been done before,” Shivji says in the film’s opening remarks. The film is co-written with South African director Jenna Bass, who also debuted her latest feature, “Mlungu Wam” (Good Madam), in Toronto’s Platform section.
“Tug of War” is a contemporary piece told from the perspective of the oppressed and the resilient. Zanzibar in the 1950’s and 60’s was a time in history when the people were divided along social, racial and economic lines, creating a tug of war between race and culture. The film’s exploration of what life was like for Zanzibaris during an era when they lived under British colonial rule sheds a mainstream light on a part of history not known by many.
The film, told in Swahili with English subtitles, does well balancing a love and political period drama with a relevant narrative and an elegant aesthetic that portrays Zanzibar as its own main character. Even with its contentious history, the viewer is able to experience Zanzibar’s beautiful coastal culture through Shivji’s masterful choices of sound, color, music, and angles.
Denge and Yasmin undergo a memorable transformation in their struggle for independence against an oppressive country with Yasmin emerging as a strong and admirable female protagonist. Their chance meeting and forbidden romance reveals a gripping story of love, loyalty, freedom and revolution.
Cast: Ikhlas Gafur Vora, Gudrun Columbus Mwanyika, Siti Amina
Cinematography: Zenn van Zyl
Editing: Nadia Ben Rachid, Matthew Swanepoel
Executive Producers: Lucinda Englehart, Neil Tabatznik
Producers: Steven Markovitz, Amil Shivji
Production Companies: Big World Cinema, Kijiweni Productions, NiKo Film
Production Designers: Emilia Roux, Eliudi Dominic Mwanyika
Screenplay: Amil Shivji, Jenna Cato Bass
Sound: Frédéric Salles
Original Score: Amélie Legrand, Amine Bouhafa
