As a part-time film producer, Nelson Faquirá is moved by everyday people’s stories. He loves the idea of using film to tell these stories as a way of bringing awareness to the plight, or success, of the people behind them.
“For instance, if I could create a TV show, it would be about fighting land appropriation. It really hurts me when a family is removed from their land and given a small, fragile house built in an inhospitable place because their land is wanted for a fancy housing project. Houses collect beautiful memories and shouldn’t be bulldozed to satisfy others’ greed,” Nelson says.
The 27-year-old lives in Maputo, Mozambique, where he runs his own management consultancy, DruckPoint Consulting, and produces films as part of a collective company called Afrocinemakers.
He loves studying, and holds certificates in a number of disciplines. Nelson is equally passionate about management consulting as he is film, and says the thrill of helping people solve their problems – logically or creatively – excites him. It’s this ability to see solutions that also drives his view of Africa’s creative sectors.
“I think we should diversify the way we tell stories in our film and TV productions. Most of our movies depict culture and tradition in a way that not everybody would watch twice. More entertaining set pieces would help diversify the range of audience and make these pieces more entertaining.
In telling Africa’s stories, Nelson says local filmmakers must learn from foreign players without losing their own identity, and proudly own their culture. “Because we have amazing stories to tell,” he concludes, “and now is the time to tell them.”