Is Africa’s true history just about mud huts and loincloths?
That is the question award-winning filmmaking duo Jahmil Qubeka and Layla Swart intend to demystify with their latest offering, African mythology series Blood Psalms.
Arguably the most highly anticipated series in SA and dubbed the African Game of Thrones, Blood Psalms is being shot in parts of the Eastern Cape and will be seen by international audiences on Showmax and Canal+ in 2021.
From Zikhona Sodlaka, Sdumo Mtshali, Enhle Mbali, Zolisa Xaluva to Warren Masemola, Thishiwe Ziqubu and Bongile Mantsai, the series boasts a star-studded cast of at least 50 experienced SA actors and actresses along with new faces.
Through Blood Psalms, the Yellowbone Entertainment duo — producer Swart and director-writer Qubeka — tell an African fantasy story set 11,000 years ago through the life of a fierce teenage African princess who battles a world-ending prophecy to navigate her people through complexities, politics and endless wars.
In addition to entertaining, Qubeka said he intended to provoke thought and get Africans curious about their heritage before the largely documented “civilisation”.
Moreover, Qubeka said, he sought to use his work to create African heroic archetypes that were not influenced by Western culture.
Part of my [intention] is very much to put out heroic archetypes that African people can look at across the planet, and be able to engage and draw something solid out
“Part of my [intention] is very much to put out heroic archetypes that African people can look at across the planet, and be able to engage and draw something solid out.
“The other thing is, we live an ironic heritage as Africans in the sense that we are purportedly the oldest people on the planet yet we have the youngest recorded civilisation, which is ridiculous and that’s what I want to demystify through entertainment.
“As much as I aim to entertain, I want people to look at the work and start to question things,” Qubeka said.
The urge to create African archetypes was derived from a lack of them Qubeka had observed from childhood, he said.
“Whether it was boys playing with toys, girls playing with dolls or simply things we saw on TV, there was very little that really affirmed a black child,” he said.
The crew started shooting the 11-part series in April under strict lockdown regulations.
Eastern Cape locations include Hole in The Wall in Coffee Bay, Gwadana and the Valley of Desolation in Graaff-Reinet.
Parts of the series are also shot in North West province and Gauteng.
While the lockdown has imposed limitations, the crew have managed to keep up with their 77-day shooting schedule.
It’s been quite an intense process having to absorb a whole new culture that’s been brought on by the pandemic into our already fixed culture of film making
“It’s been quite an intense process having to absorb a whole new culture that’s been brought on by the pandemic into our already fixed culture of film making.
“We have 30 more days to shoot,” Qubeka said on Friday.
Speaking during the virtual DStv showcase on Wednesday, where Blood Psalms was listed among new shows coming to the service providers platforms, he said he was excited to have the show reach a global audience but, most importantly, the wider African continent on Showmax and French platform Canal+.
On the upside, Qubeka said the lockdown somewhat re-emphasised the principle of family viewing which was slowly getting lost.
“I want everyone to watch the show together, each root for their favourite characters and share thoughts about the show,” he said.
With the show having already garnered interest and excitement in SA, Qubeka dubbed it his most ambitious project but revealed that he was already working on another epic show.
Qubeka and Swart were the creative duo behind Eastern Cape-shot award-winning films Knuckle City and Sew the Winter to My Skin.
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