In one of our Festival Award winning films, The Forgotten Kingdom, an aimless boy from Johannesburg travels back to his village in Lesotho when his father passes away. His journey is an incredible cinematic experience as we explore who Atang is and the majesty of Lesotho.
With a film so warm and authentic, it may be surprising to hear that writer/director Andrew Mudge is not from Africa. Andrew talks to us about the first time he traveled to Lesotho, the importance of quiet intensity and the influence of David Lynch.
Heartland Film Festival: I read that you first visited Lesotho when your brother was a volunteer there with the PeaceCorps. What was it about this country that compelled you to want to devote years of your life to telling this story?
Andrew Mudge: The inspiration for The Forgotten Kingdom came from two trips I made to Lesotho and South Africa in 2003 and 2006. I explored Lesotho’s remote areas, and became fascinated by this little known country totally surrounded by South Africa. It’s such a visually rich place; landscapes of river valleys, hillsides of thatched huts, blanketed men traveling the country on horseback. It feels like a frontier, and reminded me of how the American West must have been 150 years ago. So I wanted to capture this place on film, and tell a story that had elements of magical realism, a reflection of the mystical nature of the country itself. The storyline came to me when I learned about men who leave Lesotho to go work in the goldmines of South Africa, and only return home in their coffins, usually victims of HIV/AIDS. I suddenly had the image of a tough city kid building a coffin for his father, and his reluctant return to the motherland. That was the launching point of writing the story.
Heartland Film Festival: What did you do to create an authentic feel for Lesotho in the script and in the final product? Also are you fluent in Sotho?
Andrew Mudge: I’m not fluent in Sesotho, but I can get by (I know more than how to just ask for beer and where the bathroom is). As for the authenticity, I regularly consulted with my Basotho friends when I was developing it from outline to final draft. I spoke to everyone from Sangomas (traditional healers), to village chiefs, to people living with HIV/AIDS. I’m proud that the final film is the collaboration of many minds and hearts.
Heartland Film Festival: So much in this movie is said through silence rather than dialog. What was it like collaborating with your actors to make sure every moment lands?
Andrew Mudge: Zenzo Ngqobe, who plays the leading role of Atang, intuitively understood the quiet intensity of the character. We discussed the nuances of the story, and the meaning behind the scenes – how sometimes what’s not being said is more significant that what is said. I wanted to make a quiet film, and steer clear from anything melodramatic. Zenzo led by example, and the non-actors really picked up a lot from him. But I’d say that what really paid off is having a long and thorough audition process, which took up the better part of two months. We had many call-backs with all the actors, during which time I worked with them to refine the characters. By the time they got the roles, most of the work had been done!
Heartland Film Festival: During the movie Atang starts off being rather aimless and then about halfway through he makes a bold decision that he works hard to accomplish. What do you think drew him to that point? Is it romance or is it something more? Is he even aware of what is causing him to go on this trek?
Andrew Mudge: He’s on a trajectory, but he’s only half aware of it until the end of the film. He has these reoccurring visions of his deceased father, and those visions lead him from place to place in the story, which is probably the strongest element of magical realism in the film. I borrowed from John Sayle’s Men With Guns, and David Lynch’s The Straight Story. I wanted the film to be very allegorical, following in the footsteps of the hero’s quest. The book The Alchemist was also a major inspiration to me when I was writing the script.
Heartland Film Festival: Are you working on your next project?
Andrew Mudge: I do have another feature film that I’m prepping for, and hopefully shooting next summer (in the midwest incidentally, Ohio, Missouri, or Indiana). I’m just a bit superstitious talking about future projects, because I worry I will jinx them if I talk about them too much!
Heartland Film Festival: What are the moving films that have inspired you as a filmmaker?
Andrew Mudge: The aforementioned films, as well as many more. Back to the Future made a huge impression on me when I was eleven years old. Since then I’ve been inspired by filmmakers such as Jonathan Demme (Philadelphia, Rachel Getting Married), as well as Jim Sheridan (In America), Nicolas Roeg (Walkabout), and many more. I love the early films of Terrance Malick and Lasse Hollstrom. I recently saw Bertolucci’s latest film Me and You, and loved it. I appreciate when a filmmaker steps out of the way, allows the story and characters to do the driving, and doesn’t need to have his thumbprint over every frame. Good films make you think about the art. But great films make you think about life.
You can purchase tickets for The Forgotten Kingdom for the following days…
- Friday, October 18 at 10:30 a.m. at AMC Castleton Square 14**
- Friday, October 18 at 4 p.m. at AMC Castleton Square 14**
- Saturday, October 19 at 10:45 a.m. at AMC Castleton Square 14**
- Sunday, October 20 at 5:15 p.m. at AMC Traders Point 12**
- Wednesday, October 23 at 12:30 p.m. at AMC Traders Point 12
- Thursday, October 24 at 4 p.m. at AMC Traders Point 12
- Friday, October 25 at 11:15 a.m. at AMC Castleton Square 14
- Saturday, October 26 at 7 p.m. at AMC Traders Point 12
**Producer T.R. Boyce, Jr. is scheduled to be at the following screenings.
