Filmmakers Making A Social Impact: Why & How Nandipha Dyibishe, Sibabalwe Mhluzi, & Precious Harry of Accountability Lab Are Helping To Change Our World
An Interview With Edward Sylvan
Nandi — Take care of the environment because our lives depend on it. Very little grows from a negative, dark and dingy environment. You won’t find life growing out of destructive environments. So if you take the time out to put good into the world, that gives more energy to the world to reproduce.
Siba — Shine your light wherever you are. I think our society needs more local role models — who young people can look up to. So shine your light and in doing that, don’t forget to impart knowledge and skills to others.
Precious — Challenge yourself because you can do anything you set your mind to. Do not be afraid and even if you are afraid, keep doing it.
As a part of our series about “Filmmakers Making A Social Impact” I had the pleasure of interviewing Nandipha Dyibishe, Sibabalwe Mhluzi, and Precious Harry of Accountability Lab.
Nandipha Dyibishe is a 28-year-old independent filmmaker and storyteller from South Africa with a keen interest in documentary filmmaking. Her other film interests include scriptwriting, directing and producing. In her young career, Nandi has produced a short film with the support of Accountability Lab called “Harvest Season”, which tells the story of Thenjiwe Mhlakane who decided to invest in the development of young students in the rural area of Peddie. Nandi’s goal is to produce authentic and thought-provoking African stories which have a social impact on her rural community in the Eastern Cape province in South Africa and the world.
Sibabalwe Mhluzi is a South African-born videographer, video editor and camera operator from Stutterheim, a small rural village in the Eastern Cape. Siba’s passion for film blossomed at the age of 15 when he had his first camera experience at his church. He studied Film and TV Production Techniques at City Varsity and has since worked for established media production companies. As a participant in the Integrity Icon Film Fellowship by Accountability Lab South Africa, he produced a short film, “Homelessness”, which tells the story of people who have experienced unlawful evictions and are now forced to settle in informal settlements in the Eastern Cape. In 2017, he produced a film called “When I Lost You”, a documentary about the personal impact of death. Siba dreams of telling impactful stories for change that will help uplift his community.
Precious Harry is a Nigerian-born filmmaker, human rights advocate, chef and educator from Rivers State. She is passionate about working with young people and has dedicated her life to serving her community in different ways. She is actively involved in programs that support young school children and enjoys telling stories that raise awareness around social ills affecting children and the community at large. Her interest in film was charged by the need to tell authentic local stories in an inclusive way and to use film as a means to educate people, especially around social issues affecting vulnerable communities. As a teenage mother, Precious’s work with young people is inspired by her experience of giving birth at the tender age of 13 and getting married at a young age. She uses her experience to guide, support and teach young children about essential life skills.
Thank you so much for doing this interview with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to get to know you a bit. Can you share your “backstory” that brought you to this career?
Siba — I didn’t know what to study going into grade 10 — I was just frustrated. One day when I was at church, the family that was responsible for recording the sermons on camera had to move to Cape Town, which meant there was no one available to shoot sermons. I thought I could start operating the camera, and that’s how I started recording church sermons every Sunday and Wednesday. From that experience, I realized that I enjoyed working behind the camera. I started doing research on careers in filmmaking and discovered how big the film industry is. After completing my high school education, I applied to study Film and TV Production in 2017 at City Varsity, Johannesburg.
Nandi — After working in the finance and investment sector for a few years, I realized I wasn’t happy in the corporate sector. I felt like I wasn’t fulfilling my purpose in life, so I decided to resign. While at home, I spent some time thinking about what I’d be doing moving forward. A friend suggested that I apply for film school. However, when COVID-19 happened last year, and everyone went into lockdown, I decided that I wanted to be at home in the villages with my grandmother as she lives alone. I wanted to be around to assist her and be available to look after her during these uncertain times. It was during that time that I came across the Integrity Icon Film Fellowship by the Accountability Lab and I applied for it. That’s when I started working in filmmaking.
Precious — Growing up, I wanted to study law but film was my first love. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to study law because it was difficult to get into law at the time. The school I applied to offered me a space in mass communication which, at the time, felt close to where I was headed — which was to become a filmmaker one day. After graduating I got an opportunity to work as an intern for a radio station called Treasure FM in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Because we were not on the station’s payroll and we weren’t given much airtime, I decided to go back to film. It was a decision that took a long because I had a daughter and I’d decided that I will pursue my passion when my child is grown to the point where she is no longer too dependent on me . I experienced some challenges moving from one job to another trying to provide for my family which stalled my film career a bit. After some time, I finally went to film school in Lagos state and graduated. I worked on about three or four film sets, and the film school also hired me for one of their series and when that ended, I came across the film fellowship by Accountability Lab Nigeria. I applied and luckily, my application was successful. I believe this is when my film career got the necessary boost it needed, as the fellowship gave me the mental strength and the exposure I needed to mould my career as a filmmaker.
Can you share the funniest or most interesting story that occurred to you in the course of your filmmaking career?
Siba — After graduating from film school I did an internship with a media production company in Johannesburg. We were shooting for Kaizer Chiefs TV, a famous South African soccer club. Every month we would have an episode aired. One day we had a shoot — But little did I know that we were going to be interviewing soccer players! As we started the interview process, the soccer players started walking in — I was so star-struck! It was so difficult to keep my composure and act professional! It was an amazing experience.
Nandi — The funniest thing that happened to me in this film path was while studying at the Big Fish film school — I thought everyone in my school didn’t like me. I found that really interesting and funny because I’m generally what people would consider as a very easy-going person. Somehow when I was there things just flipped. I wasn’t getting along with my teammates. But with my lectures, ironically I was one of the top students in the school. Although my lecturers liked my work, they just felt that my personality was a bit strong, while other students didn’t vibe with me. I think it was because I took this film thing too seriously. Being at film school was my opportunity to absorb as much as I can and I think that I wasn’t as laid back as I normally am.
Precious — One time, something interesting happened to me on set. The Director of Photography said to me, “ahh this one body — sweet oh!” and then he grabbed me from behind! He was trying to be playful but it wasn’t playful to me. The strange thing is when I reported the matter to the owner of the production, I was asked to leave the set. I was shocked! It was interesting to me that a woman would do that. I thought she would address the issue with the guy but instead, she felt I was causing trouble and said I should go. That was something that was very interesting to me but in a very negative light.
Who are some of the most interesting people you have interacted with? What was that like? Do you have any stories?
Siba — I got to work with some interesting and very talented people. During the Integrity Icon Film Fellowship, we were mentored by Randall Cooper and Steve Lawrence of SL Productions. Uncle Steve was my biggest cheerleader during the course of the fellowship. At any given opportunity, he would encourage me. He saw my passion for filmmaking and he said to me I must keep telling stories and never give up.
Nandi — I had a senior lecturer who is about my grandmother’s age — I liked him. I think I like older people generally because they have a lot of wisdom and there is so much to learn from them. He was a very upfront, straightforward character — slightly strict but easy-going. We got on very well, even though we fought a lot! He was one of the few people that really understood my vision and understood my thoughts even before I could articulate them. I thought it was very interesting that out of everyone there, he had a different perspective about who I was.
Precious — There is Kehinde Joseph, a famous Nigerian screenwriter. He was very kind to me. I met him in film school where he was my teacher and he was very strict but also kind to us. He knew what he was doing and he always made sure to help us on our filmmaking journey. He was always there, never asking for anything, but constantly giving. If I had a story idea I was working on, I knew I could go to him for assistance and guidance. He would always be open to helping and offer his time to understand the vision I had and help me build up my story idea. He helped put things into perspective for me and I think he is the one person that stands out — even today.
Which people in history inspire you the most? Why?
Siba — I look up to Ofentse Mwase. He is a cinematographer and shoots many music videos for TV.I think he has a unique way of shooting his videos and as soon as one of his videos comes up on TV you can tell from the intro that it’s him. He has a specific style of documenting his videos — which I like. And there’s also Kyle White who shoots for Nasty C, a famous South African hip-hop artist. He never went to film school. Everything he knows about videography and filming is self-taught. He is really good and has made a big success of his career.
Nandi — I would say South African apartheid activists or politicians like Nelson Mandela, Thabo Mbeki, and Steve Biko, and South African musicians from back in the day, like Jazz extraordinaire Hugh Masekela, and powerful vocalist, Miriam Makeba. The reason I say this is because South Africa was in a very bad state back then with apartheid and even in those times, these people were able to maintain positive energies. They were able to persevere through all the struggle in order to bring light to the world, impart knowledge to the younger generation, make a difference in the world and elevate black consciousness. They managed to be the bright shining lights that they were even after they had passed.
Precious — If there is one person that’s influenced me about filmmaking, broadcasting and life in general it’s Oprah Winfrey. Her life story is something I relate to and it inspires me. I feel like if she can make the change she has made and help the people she has helped, I can also do my bit. I am reading a book called “What I know for sure” which I’ve read over fifty times. I read it to help me with context. Another book I love by her is “The path made clear.’’ They are always next to my bed because there are always times when I want to refer to one or two things.
Let’s now shift to the main focus of our interview, how are you using your success to bring goodness to the world? Can you share with us the meaningful or exciting social impact causes you are working on right now?
Siba- I started working on a film project focusing on profiling Kasi (South African slang for township) entrepreneurs. With this project, I want to give these entrepreneurs a platform to share their story. My aim is to give them a platform where they can become known beyond their communities. I am hoping that other people will be inspired by them and I hope to restore hope in the youth. Another one is a hip-hop show. My aim is to turn it into a mini TV series. My plan is to get young children from Kasi interested in the world of film and television.
Nandi — I’m in the process of shooting a documentary film about a couple that built their eco-house from natural materials: mud, clay, stone, and wood, and other materials like wood and window tiles. It is an eco-housing project, which I am currently in the initial stages of. I’m busy conceptualizing and brainstorming how to film and in the next two weeks, I’ll be going to the site to see how I will be setting up everything on location. The whole purpose of the documentary is to inspire other people to live in an eco-friendly manner, especially during these times with COVID-19 and being under lockdown. The second project that I’m currently in the initial phases of is starting up a village bioscope. I’ve realized that many school-going children don’t have a lot of extracurricular activities that they have access to, like sports facilities. I just wanted to start up a local bioscope that will encourage a cinema-going culture in the village and for, so children to can grow up appreciating the culture of going out to watch films on the big screen. In South Africa, the only time people will actually go to the cinema is when an international big-screen movie like Marvel or whatever is showing but for our local films, they hardly ever go out for them. I wanted to start up that culture in a rural setting so people learn to appreciate going out to watch local films on a big screen, and also just to provide a space for young children to have fun.
Precious –As September is Sickle cell anaemia or Sickle cell disease awareness month, I am working on a project called “Rebecca”. It is a short film focused on raising awareness around Sickle cell disease. In this film, I am telling the story of a child who lives with Sickle cell and was abandoned by her father. She is a Sickle cell warrior and the aim of the story is to educate people about Sickle cell anaemia. We are trying to make sure that we put that film out there so that people can understand what the disease is about and encourage them to lend a helping hand however they can.
Many of us have ideas, dreams, and passions, but never manifest it. But you did. Was there an “Aha Moment” that made you decide that you were actually going to step up and take action for this cause? What was that final trigger?
Siba — My “Aha moment” was after filming and producing my first documentary titled “When I lost You ‘’. The documentary was well-received — people could relate to the topic because it spoke about death. After receiving good feedback on the documentary, I realized that I was called for storytelling. I realized that I want to help and inspire people through storytelling — that I want to be a unique filmmaker. All that made me take the art of storytelling seriously.
Nandi — I spent some years working in the corporate sector, and earning good money although I was still at a very junior level. But I wasn’t happy -I’d cry in the morning when I had to go to work — That was my “aha” moment, when I realized that I’m not happy and I’m not living my life the way I want to. I feel like everyone has a purpose that they are meant to fulfil in this world. My purpose is out there, meeting people and hearing people’s stories and trying to help in any way.
Precious — One of the things that keep me going is I had a child at the age of 13. I feel if I knew better, and if I had guidance and somebody by my side, my life could have turned around differently. So I try to be all that for other people. As I grew up, I realized that this is something that is needed and I want to be that somebody for other people.
Can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your cause?
Siba — With the shoot I am currently busy with about profiling Kasi entrepreneurs, I met this guy I went to school with. As I was interviewing him, I realised that we shared similar interests. He didn’t study film but he loves filmmaking. I saw an opportunity to collaborate with him because he also mentioned that he writes stories. We were sitting together and that’s when we came up with the idea of the hip hop show. He was very happy to have met me because now he has started to have some hope that he will reach for his dreams and get things done.
Nandi — I once did a project on sex work and we were profiling an organization called Embrace Dignity and they were working to change legislation around sex work and trying to get it decriminalized. This organization was trying to get these women off the street and acted as a halfway house where they offered skills development. I met this lady through them and she told me her story about how she got into sex work and how her life was impacted by it. She also told me about how she tries to hide this from her children and her story was very heartbreaking. Although I wasn’t there as a therapist or counselor, she felt comfortable speaking to me about her experiences and I was able to give advice. She also appreciated the platform we gave her and how we handled her story delicately and with as much care as possible. This is one of the things I think is heart-warming because that’s what I aim to do — providing a safe environment for people to tell their stories.
Precious — Rebecca is that person. I helped send her to school, helping her with medical care and also making a film to tell the world her story. I am using her story because it taught me personally. I found that there are a lot of Rebecca’s out there and I got to meet most of them in the course of my research for the film. I am using her story to get empathy from people and get them to understand what Sickle cell is about and how they can help.
Are there three things that individuals, society or the government can do to support you in this effort?
Siba — As a filmmaker, making a film can be very expensive. I think the government should do more to support us as young filmmakers, maybe in the form of sponsorship to support our effort with research and other logistical needs. For society, I think being open to telling their stories and being open to supporting local content — especially stories by upcoming filmmakers. For individuals, I think supporting more local content and helping it grow on different platforms. As South African content creators we are often not recognised because people in our communities are more interested in international entertainment. So I think if we can get these three things done, we will make good progress.
Nandi — I think honesty, transparency and accountability would have to be my three biggest things. There was a fund that was posted for the youth at our local municipality in the Eastern Cape and they were encouraging us to apply for this fund. However, following up on this I found that there was no information about the fund on their website — no application details or any information whatsoever regarding the fund — that was very disheartening. Because that is generally how the government in the Eastern cape is. They are dodgy, they never take accountability, and when I reached out on email, I never got a response from them. As an individual, I don’t want handouts from the government but if they are saying they are rolling out funding for entrepreneurs or that there are opportunities available, let those opportunities be visible to people to access. For individuals and society, I think being independent and not solely dependent on the government or somebody else. If you want something, I believe you need to create the life you want to live. If you want to be fit and healthy you must just get up and exercise and eat healthily. I feel society should take responsibility and accountability for their own lives.
Precious — One of the things is sponsorship for my film Rebecca. It will be good to have individuals volunteer to help other young people, to help with the work that we dot. Recently there was a drive for blood donations for people living with Sickle cell and sometimes when we post about these things no one will support the content or the drive. I think these are the small actions we need from people. Donating blood, donating money or even giving their time.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.
Siba — I always wish someone had told me when I was in grade 12 that I don’t have to wait to go to film school to start filming. You can use your phone to work. Number 2 is YouTube. It has become my teacher on a lot of things — you can use YouTube to learn how to create graphics, for example. Number 3 is lighting. Lighting used to frustrate me and I always thought I didn’t have enough lights. During the Integrity Icon film fellowship, Uncle Steve said to me you don’t need to buy fancy lights, you can use your normal light bulbs and connect an extension cord. I was just blown away by that. Number four is learning about the importance of teamwork. Like I previously mentioned, I met this guy who’s also creative, and it was so amazing that we could sit and just bounce ideas around. Although he didn’t study film, his passion was rubbing off on mine and I enjoyed working together to create something. I never saw the importance of working with someone before meeting him. Number five is enjoying the process of storytelling because when you film, stress can overwhelm you and sometimes you make mistakes because you are thinking about everything all at the same time.
Nandi — I feel like someone should’ve told me to be strong. I know it’s such a clichéd thing to say, but when you have passion for something, sometimes you become very sensitive about it and sometimes that sensitivity is unwarranted. Because at the end of the day, your project is a subject on its own — it doesn’t need any personal attachment to it. I also wish that someone could have told me that filmmaking isn’t for the faint-hearted. As much passion as we have, you need strength more than anything because there won’t be money and you won’t have support all the time. There are cliques in this industry, and it’s hard to break through them. I wish someone could have told me to be more vigilant. I feel like while studying, I could have gotten jobs — maybe odd transcribing jobs — just to familiarise myself with the industry and get myself out there. Time management is my number four. As an entrepreneur, you work on multiple projects and time management is an important part of your life. Finally, I’ve learned to take myself more seriously. I wasn’t confident in calling myself a filmmaker because I felt I didn’t have enough experience. I soon learned, if I have the drive and potential, then why can’t I call myself that now to manifest the experience in the future? I think taking myself seriously and not doubting my potential is important in building my career as a filmmaker.
Precious — One of the things I wish someone told me was to network more. Put yourself out there as much as possible. We always say filmmaking is a race against time and money and in Nollywood there are a lot of people who are not grounded in the work and you can easily find yourself working with people who don’t know what they are doing, but because they are out there, they have to manage. I wish someone had told me about the fights. Sometimes when you make a suggestion, you can easily be dismissed. I’ve learned to not impose. I wish someone told me to relax and chill because I will constantly be angry and upset when someone does something and they are not doing it correctly. I would go days without eating because I’d constantly be thinking about what I’ve just experienced. I also wish I was told to not trust people easily and not to be in a hurry to loan my things out — especially on set. There is a shoot, I would often start offering my equipment, and they might shoot with my phone for example, which will then not be brought back to me and this will be for the next few days or more. I wish someone had told me not to be too hard on myself and not to get hurt when my suggestions are rejected. As a filmmaker, you need an open mind.
If you could tell other young people one thing about why they should consider making a positive impact on our environment or society, like you, what would you tell them?
Siba — Shine your light wherever you are. I think our society needs more local role models — who young people can look up to. So shine your light and in doing that, don’t forget to impart knowledge and skills to others. Use the resources and whatever you can to impact someone else’s life.
Nandi — Take care of the environment because our lives depend on it. Very little grows from a negative, dark and dingy environment. You won’t find life growing out of destructive environments. So if you take the time out to put good into the world, that gives more energy to the world to reproduce. If we take care of the earth, take care of ourselves and do good to others, then that’s a good environment to foster life.
Precious — Challenge yourself because you can do anything you set your mind to. Do not be afraid and even if you are afraid, keep doing it. Rest if you have to, dream big and work hard. Play hard too! I’ve learned that when I am playing, that’s when I sometimes get work because I am relaxed and people get to see me in my element. After you have done all you can, fully surrender to the power that is above, the power that takes care of every other thing.
We are very blessed that many other Social Impact Heroes read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, whom you would like to collaborate with, and why? He or she might see this. 🙂
Siba — I would say Daniel Okafo. I went to film school with him but he is now based in the UK. I would like to collaborate with him because when I had the chance to be around him working, I really enjoyed his passion. He was driven and his troubleshooting skills are impeccable. When we were on set he knew how to troubleshoot any challenge we encountered and made filming easy.
Nandi — The director Berry Jenkins. He just recently directed Underground Railroad starring South African-born actress Thuso Mbedu. I’ve read a couple of his scripts and I’ve watched some of his movies. I like his aesthetic and I like his mind. I think he really pays attention to human and human thoughts and he is very conscious about portraying black people powerfully in his films, so it’s very inspiring. He is a very conscious being. Another one is Erykah Badu. She directs a lot of her music videos and she’s a good songwriter and I think collaboratively we would make beautiful experimental films.
Precious — I would like to collaborate with Ava DuVernay. I like her films because they are touching. She has a way of telling stories that I really love and enjoy. And Oprah Winfrey — because she is an inspirational person.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Siba — Proverbs 3:5–6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not in your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your path straight.” So I’ve learned to rely and trust in the Lord for all the things that seem impossible.
Nandi — I think before the quote “Live love laugh” was as popular as it is now, when I was in grade 10 or 9 I came up with “Live, love, learn”. And for me that means, live in love to learn. That’s how I want to live — with love. I want to live and I want to have love in my heart all the time and I want to learn while living. You learn till your death bed and that’s something I always want to keep in my mind.
Precious — Before I would say, treat people how you want to be treated. But growing up in life I’ve learned to treat people how they want you to treat them. It might not be how you want to be treated but that’s how they want to be treated. Listen to people and what they want, and show up for them in that way.
How can our readers follow you online?
Siba:
Facebook — Sibabalwe Siba Mhluzi
Instagram — Siba Mhluzi
YouTube — Sibabalwe Mhluzi
Nandi:
Precious:
Instagram — Preshy Harry
Facebook — Precious Harry
This was great, thank you so much for sharing your story and doing this with us. We wish you continued success!
Filmmakers Making A Social Impact: Why & How Nandipha Dyibishe, Sibabalwe Mhluzi, & Precious Harry… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.