Creative director, filmmaker and content strategist Onthilia Mungobe is set to premiere her highly-anticipated documentary ‘Vera’ on 30 June. The film aims to delve into the origins, evolution and cultural significance of the unique Namibian street language, incorporating authentic dialects and accents.
Titled ‘Vera,’ which is a greeting term commonly used in Namibia, the documentary takes an in-depth look at the linguistic phenomena present in Namibian street language. Mungobe, known for her innovative storytelling techniques, aims to showcase the influence and cultural importance of the language in the daily lives of Namibian locals.
In an interview with VIBEZ!, Mungobe expressed her desire for the documentary to authentically capture the essence of Namibian street language, emphasising the need for society to recognise the role of creatives as socio-cultural engineers. She believes that creative individuals play a crucial role in shaping and enhancing the essence of a nation, paving the way for a better tomorrow.
‘Vera’ includes interviews with both linguists and historians, who shed light on the roots of the street language and its connections to Namibia’s history, politics and social dynamics. The film aims to explore how language has evolved over time, and how it serves as a means of expressing identity and a sense of belonging for its users.
“In Vera, it is just an insight into how linguistic influences such as slang have affected our language landscape. And it was very interesting to see those from academia and those in the pop culture stream, which are presenters and radio producers as well. And then people from the street explained how they saw how slang fits into Namibian culture,” she noted.
‘Vera’ came into existence during the four-day make-a-thon competition by the Fabrica Design Challenge recently. This competition aimed to provide a platform for local artists to showcase their creative talent and skills, as well as encourage innovation and entrepreneurship in the design industry.
“As a creative director and content strategist, it is quite rare that I have come across content of this nature (investigative meets independent) in the Namibian voice. As storytellers, I am of the opinion it is our prerogative to give insight and raise awareness on matters affecting Namibians and the world over,” she said.
Mungobe’s content packaging encompasses elements of pop culture, out of the box borderline conservative investigative reporting that is fun, easy to follow, comprehend, and contains analytical commentary.
“My hope is that this documentary will inspire audiences to consider the social and pop culture influences that make us unique as a people,” she continued.
In addition, as a documentary maker, she always likes bringing to light the heritage issue of capacitating and emancipating all marginalised or impoverished communities.
She always likes to look for stories that her media colleagues really don’t divulge in, maybe because the turnover time is too short.
Mungobe is excited to tell more Namibian stories.
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