Entertainment with a purpose
tjil chats with Patrick and Bernice actor on using art to make a difference in society.
Social media has now become a medium for a lot of rising stars. Becoming an overnight sensation has been made much easier and all by posting a video or a simple picture. Well, who knew the internet could give one such a luxury, right? The latest of these internet sensations is Jesaya Namalemo and he keeps doing the thing. He became a social media superstar overnight and has taken social media by a storm with his comedy.
Ever since we were children, most of us had plans to be superstars, but this is a dream rarely achieved.
Thousands across the world are working towards making their dream come true, and then there are some who turn into an overnight social media personality like Namalemo.
The love for film comes from when he was in high school, in his Afrikaans classes. His short films featuring Bernice and Patrick are relatable to majority of people and he says he decided to shoot them to make a difference in someone's life by making them laugh or smile.
“Sometimes we take life too seriously. Just laugh it off. The first video just went viral and it's funny because we were just fooling around. We are at over 200 000 views now and its phenomenal,” he said.
Namalemo also recently took part in the KinoNamia film festival where his team produced a film of Bernice and Patrick with a twist to the usual clips they shoot. The film was shot and edited in 48 hours as part of the festival and it currently sits with over 2 000 views on Facebook.
“We highlighted how males are also abused in relationships and people hardly want to talk about this as they think it's a joke. Abuse can come from both sides; it's not about one being strong, there are so many things such as emotional and mental abuse. These are conversations we need to have openly,” he said.
The comedian believes that entertainers have a role bigger than making their audience laugh. Namalemo has done videos that depict what happens in a heterosexual relationship where the woman is the main source of income and the man has to deal with abuse - which is seen as comical when watching from the other side.
“People like comedy and having fun. When they watch the clip they obviously laugh at first but the message still lingers at the back of their minds. That is bound to make a difference,” he said.
Namalemo and his team which consists of Chantell Uiras and Kuli Muundjua, plan on going bigger than social media and into shooting a comedy movie.
June Shimuoshili
Ever since we were children, most of us had plans to be superstars, but this is a dream rarely achieved.
Thousands across the world are working towards making their dream come true, and then there are some who turn into an overnight social media personality like Namalemo.
The love for film comes from when he was in high school, in his Afrikaans classes. His short films featuring Bernice and Patrick are relatable to majority of people and he says he decided to shoot them to make a difference in someone's life by making them laugh or smile.
“Sometimes we take life too seriously. Just laugh it off. The first video just went viral and it's funny because we were just fooling around. We are at over 200 000 views now and its phenomenal,” he said.
Namalemo also recently took part in the KinoNamia film festival where his team produced a film of Bernice and Patrick with a twist to the usual clips they shoot. The film was shot and edited in 48 hours as part of the festival and it currently sits with over 2 000 views on Facebook.
“We highlighted how males are also abused in relationships and people hardly want to talk about this as they think it's a joke. Abuse can come from both sides; it's not about one being strong, there are so many things such as emotional and mental abuse. These are conversations we need to have openly,” he said.
The comedian believes that entertainers have a role bigger than making their audience laugh. Namalemo has done videos that depict what happens in a heterosexual relationship where the woman is the main source of income and the man has to deal with abuse - which is seen as comical when watching from the other side.
“People like comedy and having fun. When they watch the clip they obviously laugh at first but the message still lingers at the back of their minds. That is bound to make a difference,” he said.
Namalemo and his team which consists of Chantell Uiras and Kuli Muundjua, plan on going bigger than social media and into shooting a comedy movie.
June Shimuoshili
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