Experiencing Interruptions?

LITTLE HUMANS

12 year old intelligent and ambitious MPASO moves into a new neighbourhood with his family. Since their relocation from the village to the city, they have been changing houses quiet a lot due to his single mother’s struggle to make ends meet.
This endless process has made Mpaso struggle to fit in with the other kids because of his disfigured face that he got from their burning house in the village when he was 6 years old. The kids refuse to play with him calling him a monster (Chibanda). Fortunately he uses his big brains to win one of the girl’s over. He solves TOMAIDAH’S history homework and offers to give her private lessons. The two bond and become very good friends that she initiates more of her friends to the idea. The school slowly becomes popular and the other girl squad feels threatened by how everyone has started hanging out with Mpaso. They discover that even Tomaidah has joined the school, this angers the group leader CHICHI and she plots to destroy the initiative. She conspires with the compound bully VICTOR to have the board stolen. The duo sneak into the classroom and steal the board and destroy the teaching aids while no one is watching.
In the morning when more kids gather with their books to resume their lessons they find Mpaso weeping in the middle of the classroom and Tomaidah wipes away the tears from his face; the first time someone actually touches his burnt face. Chichi comes to the rescue and offers the other kids to join him as she is doing modelling lessons. The other kids leave the classroom and join chichi and victor.
On his way to the market the following day he meets victor who beats him up calling him a freak. Mpaso proceeds to the market and when coming back he finds victor at the exact spot crying his eyes out. He is busy looking for a k5 that his mother gave him to buy vegetables. Mpaso feels sorry for him, and since he has a big heart he offers to help him look. The two look and they don’t find it, Mpaso offers to give him his mother’s change-victor is grateful. He goes home and tells the mother that he lost the money.
Victor comes by after hours with Mpaso’s board and gives it back as a token of thanks. The two who are later joined by Tomaidah help rebuild the classroom and have fun doing it. When the other kids are informed that the classes have resumed they run from chi chi’s mean games and return to Mpaso’s lessons. Chichi realises she has lost, she swallows her pride and asks if she can be part of it, victor chases her calling her a bad influence but Mpaso allows her to join and follow the class rules. She apologises for being mean and jealous. All the kids in the end have fun learning from Mpaso.

  • PAUL . S. WILO
    Director
    AWARD WINNING ZAMBIAN FILMMAKER
  • PAUL. S. WILO
    Writer
  • CECILIA PINKY MWANSA
    Producer
  • EMMANUEL PHIRI
    Key Cast
    "MPASO"
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    14 minutes 52 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    March 12, 2020
  • Production Budget:
    400 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Zambia
  • Country of Filming:
    Zambia
  • Language:
    Afrikaans, English
  • Shooting Format:
    FULL HD
  • Film Color:
    Black & White and Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - PAUL . S. WILO

Paul. S. Wilo is an award winning upcoming filmmaker from Zambia. Raised in the suburb of Lusaka, he officially goy into the film industry 8 years ago. He was recognised as best emerging producer by the national association of media arts in 2019 and in the same year his series won best upcoming filmmaker at the Sotambe film festival. He was certified by international moving festival as director for his short film scars.
He is a certificate holder in cinematic directing a training facilitated by renowned filmmaker Rungano Nyoni and participated in several Zambian productions as an actor. Director, scriptwriter and producer.

FILMOGRAPHY
Scars- short film- 2019- writer/ director/ producer
Breath- short film- 2019- writer/ assistant director
For Racheal- short film- 2020- actor/ writer/ director
Not too late- feature film- 2013- writer/ director
Broken- feature film- 2016- actor/ writer/ producer
Mirrors- TV series- 2019- show runner

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Director Statement

Unlike adults, how kids resolved their misunderstandings always amused me. telling this story was a fascinating experience for, how the physical appearance and prejudice stop mattering in the kids world was what intrigued to tell this story. how relocating to another place was both scary and exciting. it was necessary for me to tell this story that regardless of physical appearance, gender or educational background we are all joined together by the spirit of Ubuntu.