Battle of the Souls
| Battle of the Souls | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Matt Bish |
| Starring |
|
| Music by | Priscilla Kalibala |
Production company | Media Pro |
| Distributed by | Media Pro |
Release date |
|
| Country | Uganda |
| Language | English |
Battle of the Souls is a 2007 supernatural Ugandan thriller directed by Matt Bish. It featured in the 28th African Film Festival of Verona (Italy). Dubbed the 'first'[1] Ugawood feature film, it was also Matt's maiden film after returning home to Kampala in 2005 from film school in Amsterdam. He assembled a cast that made film history. It received 10 nominations at the 5th Africa Movie Academy Awards and eventually scooped the awards for Best Visual Effect and Best Supporting Actor.[2]
Plot
[edit]A young reporter (called Ryan, played by Matthew Nabwiso) loses his girlfriend and job in one day. Then one evening while drinking with his longtime buddies at a bar, he comes across a cash-filled briefcase belonging to a mysterious underworld lord. Greed and conflict over the possession of the money begins to erode their friendship. Depressed and in a vulnerable position, Ryan agrees to join the underworld lord's organisation. Unknown to him, the organisation is actually a cult that sacrifices humans in exchange for wealth and beauty.
Production
[edit]With the tagline: "They are here to get you back...", filming started in 2006. The production company was Media Pro, created in February 2005[3] and under Roger Mugisha, as the Managing Director.
Cast
[edit]- Matthew Nabwiso as Ryan
- Mwita Athanas
- Mike Draman as Eric
- Joel Okuyo as Wycliffe
- Agnes Kebirungi
- Nancy Karanja
- Niyi Owolabi
- Shix Kapyyenga
- Shanlar Kirunga
Soundtrack
[edit]The music score for Battle of the Souls was performed by Priscilla Kalibala, a Ugandan artist.
Release
[edit]The film was released in cinemas on 29 April 2007, and it has run on local channels like NTV too. It's about 105 minutes long.
Reception
[edit]The film came during a period when Ugandans were hearing so many stories about people going to the underworld ("under water") to get wealth and therefore had a compelling tale. Matt Bish started writing the movie in 2003 just after Roger Mugisha,[4] leader of the Shadow's Angels, became born again (or "got saved"). He just read about Roger (now a Radio Presenter) in interviews and newspaper articles on the net. Matt is a GOD-fearing man. He was always hoping to have his first feature film and wanted it to have a Christian theme. And it was well-received winning numerous awards. "The film is talking about how people are drawn to the underworld to operate in the dark world, the evil world."[5]
References
[edit]- ^ Jamati
- ^ Okoye, Chinyere (9 April 2009). "AMAA - Africans Can Speak With One Voice". AllAfrica.com. AllAfrica Global Media. Retrieved 5 September 2010.
- ^ The Battle of Souls (MusicUganda)
- ^ Only GOD Can Judge Me (New Vision) Archived October 22, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Africultures