Doccie captures history of herculean education institution, Tigerkloof

A sizeable crowd of film enthusiasts, arts practitioners, media and members of the public gathered at the National Museum this past Thursday for the screening of the documentary TigerKloof: Symphony in stone. The observational documentary was produced by filmmaker Mpho Dintwa of BoxScreen Pictures and co-produced by Shirely Moulder, who is a trustee of the Southern Africa Trust and the current chairperson of the TigerKloof School board.

Professor Fred Morton and Bono Mmusi of the Botswana Society welcomed the guests and shared a brief history about the society and their affiliated relations with Dintwa, who also received support from Jim Wilkinson, the Birmingham film trust and the Tutu Foundation, among others. During his address, Dintwa said that it was important to tell stories that resonate with Africa and also document our history, particularly to share with future generations, adding that he had learnt a lot during the research process.

He noted that the project, which took two years to complete was no walk in the park and he was forced to make several sacrifices that included selling some of his assets and turning to his family for assistance. “I had to sell some of my stuff and be left with nothing. But I was driven by passion and had the conviction that this was a story worth telling,” he said.

The documentary features historic details on the establishment of Tigerkloof and the method of education, and carries interviews with founding Botswana leaders who attended the school such as of former minister Dr Gaositwe Chiepe, former politician and diplomat Archibald Mogwe and former president Sir Quett Ketumile Masire. It also reflects the state of the school now: the community projects and the academic and co-curricular activity. Since it reopened in 1995, efforts have been made restore the school to its former glory.

The concept of the documentary is fantastic and it is clear that a lot of effort went into the research. The content is also insightful, informative and refreshing. However, there were a few repetitions and irrelevant clips that made it drag on longer and seem cumbersome. Dintwa noted that they still need to market the documentary globally and would appreciate support from here and beyond. To liaise with the production team email: [email protected]