SPOTLIGHT / 05
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NEW FILM COMATOSE IN PRODUCTION
Comatose brings South African and Nigerian talent together to tackle the challenging subject of euthanasia. Comatose ©1Take Media
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Take Media has begun and African talent such as Aissa production on Comatose, Maiga, Bimbo Akintola, Robert a dramatic Afro-futurism Whitehead and Deborah Lettner feature film set to be starring. Comatose is directed released in early 2017. The film by Mickey Madoda Dube, with explores an African perspective on production set to begin in Durban the euthanasia debate, with awardand continuing in Nigeria. winning actors Fabian Adeoye The film is adapted from a Lojede (Jacob’s Cross, Man on play written by prolific CanadianGround), Hakeem Kae Kazim (Black Nigerian writer Jude Idada. It Sails, 24, Hotel Rwanda), Mary Twala follows heet I-2 p Ad 05-2016* 5/15/16 8:14 PM Page 1 1 siblings Segun (Lojede) Sheet I-2 p Ad 05-2016* 5/15/16 8:14 PM Page Sheet I-2 p Ad 5/15/16 8:14 PM Page (Sarafi na,05-2016* The No1 Ladies Detective and1Omowunni (Akintola) as they Agency) and other acclaimed local battle over the life of their ailing
mother Nana (Twala), who is in a coma. One wants to pull the plug, one wants to keep her alive. One resides in Lagos and the other in California. In this battle of wills, dark family secrets come to light, relationships are shattered, and the true meaning of love is revealed. This argument has been raging for decades across the globe. Comatose will dig into the matter, off a variety of perspecti ves C ering CMY C M M Y Y CMCMMYMYCY CY CMYK K to this complex issue. is going C M Y CM MY “This CY CMY K
to be the most challenging role I’ve played. The film has so many layers: visual and narrative,” says Lojede, who co-wrote the script and who is co-producing with Dude. 1Take Media begins principal photography on 13 June 2016, with funding from the South African Department of Trade and Industry (the dti), the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) and the KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission.