Joe Blog

After sold out screenings at this year’s Encounters Documentary Film Festival, The Bioscope is proud to present more chances to watch the film ‘Matabeleland’.
ANY OTHER SCREENINGS WILL BE LISTED HERE
Directed by Nyasha Kadandara. Documentary. Dur: 1hr 16mins.
Chris has long believed his family’s misfortunes and financial struggles are the result of a curse. Twenty years after leaving Zimbabwe, life in Botswana hasn’t brought the relief he hoped for. Instead, things continue to deteriorate. He finds solace in charismatic spirituality and his warm-hearted girlfriend, Dumi, a single mother who sees a future with him despite his sprawling family. Dumi makes one thing clear: without commitment, they have no future.
When a political shift in Zimbabwe reopens old wounds, Chris is forced to confront the pain he’s buried for years. His father was killed during the Matabeleland violence of the mid-1980s, and Chris believes his spirit remains unrested. A chance meeting with Shari, a woman who helps families exhume and rebury loved ones, allows Chris to finally make peace.
As he embarks on this journey, Chris must ask himself whether he can embrace the love and peace he’s longed for or whether the past will continue to shape the life he’s built. Matabeleland is a rare exploration of vulnerability in African manhood, a personal story of how historical trauma ripples through generations, shaping families, relationships, and identity.