Mugabe cartoon-film wins French Nice award
3 November 2012
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Exiled writer Tendai Frank Tagarira has won European recognition for his recent film “A Can Of Worms” which makes fun of President Robert Mugabe’s leadership.
Tagarira (pictured on stage-right) won a special jury prize award at the the prestigious French Nice Film Festival. for his anti-Mugabe animation clip A Can of Worms which as he states, “narrates a story of a boy resistance against an iron fist dictatorship and a delusional dictator, who seeks to suppress an imaginary rebellion by a bumble bee.”
At a ceremony in France attended largely by Europeans, Tagarira who had travelled from his home in Denmark, was surprised as his award was being announced to be greeted with a special birthday welcome as delegates suddenly began singing: “happy birthday happy birthday happy birthday”. He gave a short speech shortly after and then received a 1600Euros award.
He narrates his account:
“Suddenly, as I was walking up to the stage, the crowd began to sing ‘happy birthday’ for me. I was speechless. I had spoken to some French journalists earlier about the film and mentioned that it was actually my birthday on award night. The jury were not aware of this, but they also joined the crowd in wishing me happy birthday.

A clip from the anti Mugabe cartoon

“So many emotions went through me as I gave a short acceptance speech, before turning over the microphone to my co-director, Vitor. Later the judges told us they rarely nominated animations but that the story and art in our film touched them deeply. They were honored that such an unlikely artistic collaboration and journey was participating in their esteemed festival.”
 
No Financial Assistance
Tagarira said his film was completed with no financial support whatsoever. He said shortly after the ceremony:
“We had no financial support at all to make the film. In both Denmark and Portugal (where the co- director, Vitor Lopes, comes from) we were denied cultural financial support for this film.
“But that did not stop us. Our passion to make the film and tell the story was greater. So we worked for the whole year of 2011 to make the 8 minutes of animation. It’s a difficult story to tell and if this film were screened in Zimbabwe, I would lose my head to those bent on suppressing freedom of speech due to the political satirical nature of the film,” he said.
Rejected in Africa
However Tagarira’s film is yet to enter the African’s TV markets and the Denmark based writer said a board in Zanzibar snubbed it on the grounds of its politically charged contents. Over a 9 month period to date, the film hit a record popularity mark of 1630 hits on the Google’s Youtube video service.

No hair cut until Mugabe is removed
In 2010 Tagarira vowed never to cut his hair until the day of Mugabe’s death and his film is believed to be an expression of his inner convictions.
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16 Replies to “Mugabe cartoon-film wins French Nice award”

  1. u are cheap tagarira selling your country for €1600 i grow tomatoes and i make $3000 every week machinja hamudi kushanda i wont be surprised kuti u wont suck a dick for €1600 if u think MDC will make manna fall from heaven dream on

  2. Faraidog Mamigodzva you are another form of an idiot. Tell you what, there shall come a time when all people will realise that you (MDC) is just a bunch of sellouts. Jacob Zuma now knows how bad the whîtès are following his showdown with Hellen Zille. You see, the Zilles are now talking much about democracy yet for 27 years they undemocratically imprisoned Cde Mandela and do not have any apologies for doing so. Ndivo varungu venyu ava but the truth is, we are going to give MDC a hiding next year.

  3. Congratulations my brother for standing for what you believe in. It is the truth of what we have at our disposal as Zimbabweans, so i for one am with you.

  4. Sellout circus. In Australia the rhodies are hoping that the Conquerer of w.hite evil will soon go and Zwambila is busy making money like this drealocked idi.ot, by giving the poor wh.ite fools false hope of MDC victory next year. Munodushugwa mukaridza mhere sevamwe vaye, zuro riye. At least he has 1600 euros in his pockets to buy more halucinating drugs and any rubbish from this dirt will receive more accolades. Happy birthday!!! From who, my foot?? And he does not even see how he is being used. Some mothers do have them.!!!

  5. As stated in previous comments, Zanu PF along with Mugabe its aging Jongwe is the laughing stock of the civilized world. This includes the CIO who put forward their pathetic comments via a false individual named Bla Miki.

  6. A sellout surrounded by his paymasters all of them whites of European descent. Nothing new Greyhora my son! What is there to admire abt this refugee turned amateur film maker from the sellout MDC-T party! The pain and shame u are causing yo father Tagarira can only be rivaled by the pain inflicted upon me by my sellout boy Greyhora!

  7. What sort of cartoon would please Zimbabwens we have too much of that character ZBC shows us daily. Maybe overseas you would make money but also doubt that.

  8. Its really a shame both to the film maker and its intended western ****’ audience. Its a shame that a man has devoted his life in surving through handouts from the homosexual devils in Europe who hates so much a leader of a sovereign state. And another sellout idiot calls that ‘creativity’? Now is this not bloody money Tendog Tagay? Do you have to go all this length if you don’t agree with someone? You know what, zvichapera izvi manje manjeso. Ramai vako Tendog.

  9. Congratulations Tagarira. Keep on telling Zimbabwe’s true story to those willing to listen. Do not pay attention to Cde Nakedog who is always horny like a donkey, porn movie for what wena sihlama?

  10. I the cartoon film one of the middle east Tv channels, but it did not make much sense. However as an amture film maker that was fair attempt. We will soon have skilled film makers in zimbabwe.

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