MONDE GUMEDE

What  initially sparked your interest in directing, and how did you break into the industry, both nationally and internationally?

My dad loved gangster films, and I’d watched those with him as a kid, but I didn’t realize it was something I wanted to do until my senior year of high school. I thought I was going to go to law school, but after some work experience, I found it was nothing like “Suits.” So, yeah, I got into it late.

Regarding your second question about how I got into it locally and internationally, I hope this doesn’t come across as pretentious or insincere, but I don’t really consider myself as being “in,” nor do I think it’s a good or healthy thing to aspire towards. Especially lately, I’ve been most energized by making stuff with people who genuinely want to collaborate with me. The experience of creating is fun and light, and that’s what interests me most. I believe if there’s an “in,” it implies there’s an “out,” and I don’t like the idea of a select group deciding who’s in and who’s out. Maybe I’m not in yet, but I feel in with my friends, and those are the people I create with.

I try to ensure that the process of making something is as important as the final product. When everyone involved, from the camera operators to the writers, sincerely like each other and want to impress each other, that’s when I feel the coolest and most rewarded.

South African filmmakers are gaining international recognition. How do you balance adapting local stories for a global audience while preserving local authenticity?

I think it’s amazing that South African filmmakers are getting recognition abroad. It’s a side effect of them connecting with a local audience. The most personal stories are the most universal. Streaming platforms often emphasize global appeal, but I think aiming to fit both local and global audiences can be counterintuitive. Some of our brightest fashion practitioners and musicians are gaining international attention because they’ve focused on what it means to be from here, bringing a high level of consideration, care, and craft to their work. 

That’s what I’d love to do in film—create content that resonates with local audiences and, through resources and collaboration, approach it with more consideration and effort. Ultimately, a global audience is secondary. It starts with your friends, then your city, then your country. The most personal is the most universal.

“When everyone involved, from the camera operators to the writers, sincerely like each other and want to impress each other, that’s when I feel the coolest and most rewarded.”

Could you discuss the inception and creative process behind Vimba, connecting the historical practice of thrifting in South Africa with designer brands, and how this ties into its title?

“Vimba” came to life when Tamara Jack and I wrote it together as a short film we wanted to make in Joburg. There are many amazing, well-considered films about the history of thrifting and the paradox of high-end fashion pieces in the country, and I think they address these topics far better than I could. So, there wasn’t a political interest for me. I’m more interested in fallible South African characters who aren’t edgy or altruistic.

I love the idea of a character who’s a hero in one scene and a villain in another. Tamara’s character, for instance, starts off as cool and altruistic but then makes a faux pas that negatively impacts another character, shrugging it off and moving on. This duality is a more accurate and humorous depiction of life in Joburg, where we constantly shift roles.

We wrote “Vimba” together, and the title ties into this theme. The idea of “Vimba,” a social concept very relevant in South Africa, resonates on a cultural level. It’s fun showing it to friends abroad who don’t understand the local trigger but sense the call to action. “Vimba” functions like a stop sign or pedestrian crossing—an instruction, birthed from cultural nuance that plays out in a humorous scenario.

I don’t create with a desired political outcome, but commentary often becomes political. We’re working on a new project now, a followup to Vimba!, featuring Dorothy Ann Gold, who plays a wealthy art buyer. We shot it live at Latitudes, and it was an exciting experience, thanks to the support of Lebo, Lucy, and everyone at Latitudes.

The last scene of “Vimba,” where Sheldon is running away as Tamara screams “Vimba,” was particularly interesting. Some people in the scene were actors, while others were not, and their genuine reactions added a layer of realism to the film. This blend of actors and real people, captured by hidden cameras, made the film unique and exciting. Without saying too much, the followup film takes that approach further.

Your work spans music videos, commercials, and films like “Yahoo Boy,” which tackles online fraud sensitively. What drives you to address such complex issues while avoiding typical stereotypes, and how do you approach different formats?

What drives the instinct to make stuff like that is mostly that it’s funny. It’s a unique scenario specific to the places we come from. On a basic level, that’s it. But of course there’s a level of consciousness we need. We do try to have conversations with people about the sensitive stuff. We don’t want to intentionally offend anyone.

I often feel that films about South Africa are either “woe is me” hyper-politicized narratives about our relationship with the past, which are very important and sensitive. My hat goes off to filmmakers who can address these issues. I’m not mature enough yet to tackle such topics. Alternatively, South African films are sometimes like “Black Panther,” portraying a utopian Africa with characters disconnected from any real African or South African experience.

I’m interested in characters who are heroes in some rooms and villains in others. This duality reflects our politicians, our heroes, and ourselves, if we’re honest about our imperfections. “Yahoo Boy” is a funny scenario influenced by something my writing partner witnessed first hand. When Lemo, the lead, got involved, it took on a new context. He brought a sensitivity to it. It’s good to start with carefully considered writing but at some point it’s gotta give way to real humans bringing scenes to life. That’s the way I’d like to work, nothing is too precious to be re-written when the performance calls for it. We’re still waiting to make the full film, and we’re prepared to do it independently, one scene at a time, if necessary.

“The most personal is the most universal.”

Your collaboration with Adidas Originals blends athletes, musicians, narrative creatives, and fashion. How do these diverse elements come together to tell a cohesive story that challenges conventional portrayals and amplifies originality in today’s creative landscape?

Credit to Nox and everyone at Adidas; Ash, and everyone at Room Studios. They were the driving force behind this project, more than supportive—they were inspiring. They were creative partners from the very beginning. It wasn’t a client-company relationship; we tackled all problems together and solved them collectively.

In advertising, we’re often plagued by the mood board problem. You get all these mood boards with cool people, some you know, some you don’t. By the time you get to casting, they say, “Oh, we don’t really want Fran or Nkuley; we want someone who looks like them”. (I’ve really heard that in a brief)..” It’s uniquely frustrating, especially for the people who are actually creating noteworthy work, only to be passed over for someone else who is merely an impression of them.

With Adidas, because of their built-in relationships with what we can call “originals,” we didn’t have a casting process. We had access to these players, and our job was to contextualize them, to show them in ways we don’t usually see. It’s Lucas with an actual goat, Damien and Que on a golf course – the moments were hopefully sometimes serious, sometimes funny, sometimes just cool. We shot with the homies on 35mm film, which was a dream come true for me. Here’s looking forward to doing more of this tone of work with that team, and anyone who rolls the dice on a SHIBOBO style!