Mahikeng filmmaker shows the world the power of small spaces.

By Tshidi Bokgwathile

Filmmaker Tebogo Chologi aims high

A single-room shack in Magogoe Tlhabologo, Mahikeng, in the North West, has become the unlikely narrator of an internationally recognised short film.

The Shack, directed by 37-year-old Tebogo Chologi, tells the story of Buti, a man living alone during the COVID19 lockdown, but the voice guiding the audience comes not from the character but from the building itself.

“The walls have ears, but the shack has ears too,” Chologi said, describing how the structure witnessed his childhood.

Chologi grew up in Mahikeng and began his career in the arts through poetry, pantsula dance, and theatre. He later earned a qualification in Film and Television Production, working as an actor and director on projects including Never Say Goodbye for Langelihle Production and shows for Mzansi Magic.

“I started out performing on stage and on TV, but I always wanted to tell the story that I could feel was something I could relate to,” he said.

The seven-minute film was shot entirely by Chologi during lockdown, with no crew or outside assistance. “I grew up in a shack since 1993, so I’ve always wanted to tell a story like this. When COVID19 hit, I had to tell it. The pandemic meant no crew, no movement. I wrote, shot, and edited everything alone,” he explained.

Despite its small scale, The Shack has received international recognition. It won the Standard Bank Ovation Award at the 2021 National Arts Festival and Best International Film at Botswana’s Bao International Film Festival. Earlier this year, it was screened in Berlin at an exhibition honouring a late American painter, where German film students incorporated it into their work.

Now part of the University of Cape Town’s Sunshine Cinema partnership, Chologi trains as an impact facilitator, using the film to teach local youth how to find stories in their communities. “The privileged should look at the shack and respect it. Those who live in shacks should look at themselves and embrace their situation because the shack sympathises with them,” he said.