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Tafadzwa Zimoyo

Senior Arts Reporter

United States-based Zimbabwean film-maker Munya Munyati has said besides talent and passion in film and television, being educated in the relative field is important. 

Munyati released his first independent short film recently and is working for Vice Media. 

In an interview with The Herald Arts, he said there was nothing new under the sun in the film and television industry, just that the creative sector needed to embrace the culture of education in producing, directing and acting. 

“The main lesson that I have learned is that there is nothing from a creative perspective that makes the US different from Zimbabwe.

“The only real difference is access and education in arts and media. When I left Zimbabwe when I was young, I believed that the only artists were those who could paint, sing, draw or act and if you did none of those things you were not an artist.” Munyati said for the industry to grow, film-makers should tell the correct narrative of a particular subject and be proud of their identity. 

“The root of what drives me in my career is that I want to be able to put Zimbabwean stories out there so that young Zimbabweans can see themselves represented in various media and use that as inspiration to become the storytellers of their generation,” he said. 

“My first independent short film, ‘I Don’t Want To Be a Foreigner Forever’, was a documentary about the experiences of Zimbabweans living in the diaspora and is a call for young Zimbabweans everywhere to make our country greater than it has ever been. 

“This is an example of a project of mine that I believe exemplifies how I market Zimbabwe. It also serves as a constant reminder for me of where I come from and why I wanted to get into film in the first place.” 

Munyati, who went to school in Hong Kong and later in the US, said besides film-makers having a challenge to access the right equipment and education to help cultivate creativity, they should also invest in social media skills to promote and market their works. 

“I have always been a storyteller, regardless of the medium,” he said. “When I was young, I used to write stories and poems as ways of telling stories.

“However, one thing that always upset me as a young Zimbabwean was that I rarely ever heard Zimbabwean voices and stories on a global platform. 

“As I got older, I made it my goal to become a better storyteller and film-maker in order to be able to share more stories of people who have been under-represented or misrepresented in the mainstream media. 

“I am fortunate to be working for a company like Vice Media where all of my work is compensated for and I am paid fairly for the work I do. That has been a blessing because I have been able to grow my personal social media presence without having the stress of worrying whether it will pay the bills.”

Munyati said through social media, it was easy to be identified and one can still find jobs that will pay.  “The real struggle is finding the right match for you as a creative and I believe that I have found that at Vice Media,” he said. “My dream also is to establish a production centre in Zimbabwe. I want to establish an organisation whereby young Zimbabweans can come and learn about the various roles involved in film making. Additionally, I want it to be a place where people can also gain access to equipment and advice on films they are working on and allow them to meet and share ideas.” On who he has so far worked with and the productions he has done, Munyati said:  

“I have worked with some of renowned stars who include Gorilla Nems, Yung Bae, and Juliana Huxtable, and chefs from Michelin Star Restaurants like COTE Korean Steakhouse and Don Angie,” he said. 

“While I am proud to have worked with the stars named above, I would also love to meet more filmmakers such as Ryan Coogler who are actively changing our understanding of who is represented in the media.” 

Munyati cited some of the challenges he faced as a foreigner in the US, but was happy that his work was well received. 

“I think the challenges I face as a foreigner are very similar to those faced by many Zimbabweans in the diaspora,” he said. 

“As my short film discusses, the existence in the USA as a foreigner is a challenge because not only are you constantly under the stress and anxiety that comes with being a foreigner on a visa, but there’s also the difficulty of being away from family and home. 

“Part of my main goals have always been to share Zimbabwean stories, but it’s difficult to do so when you aren’t home to share the stories. So, I have recently been focusing more on stories of Zimbabweans in the Diaspora. 

“I believe that I am both appreciated and respected for the work that I have done at Vice Media. Within my first two weeks of working at Vice, I had my first ever pitch accepted immediately. This trust in my idea paid off, as it was the highest performing video of the month from my digital video team.  

“My success within the first quarter led to me joining the “My Life Online” team where we were contracted to produce six episodes for distribution on TV. I have since also been appointed to work with start producer, James Burns, who selected me to work with based off of recommendations from my bosses. James Burns has worked on numerous notable projects and so this has been a true honour to see how my work is recognised and appreciated.”

Munyati left Zimbabwe at a tender age, and spent two years in Hong Kong where he went through the bulk of technical camera learning.

“I then spent a year in the Ecuadorian Amazon as a Media Fellow for Global Citizen Year, where I documented my experiences living in the Amazon making use of multimedia,” he said. 

“My formal education in film and media began at Middlebury College where I graduated Cum Laude with Honours in Film and Media Culture. Additionally, I spent time at the New York Film Academy where I completed the 8-week film making certificate course. 

“Of the success of my short film, I was hired by Vice Media Group to join their Digital Video team as an associate producer. On this team, I play an active role in pitching ideas, and producing videos from start to finish before their delivery to Vice’s Digital Platform.” 

Some of the noticeable videos Munyati has done include, “King of Coney Island — Bing Bong”, “How a Chemical Company Created a Ghost Town Overlooked King Crab”, and “Cote Chef’s Night Out,” among others. 

Munyati said each of these videos has over 200 000 views and were performing well on the digital platform.