Grade 10D, the end or the beginning of dreams?

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Moufhe Productions has just finished production of a sterling locally shot film, Grade 10D.

The film, written by Blue Lloyd and directed by Joseph Muthaphuli, with Wavhudi Lidzhegu in a starring role, was shot in Tshitereke village.

This 90-minute feature film explores the role that teachers play in the lives of the learners of the Grade 10D class.

“The viewer will experience how some teachers do not put in any effort into the learners in the lower-ranked classes,” said producer Siphume Nene. “You get the view that these educators feel that teaching these classes is futile and a waste of their time. The movie will take the viewers on a journey of how the system negatively influences these learners.”

All the pupils in the Grade 10D class lack inspiration and guidance, so they do not feel worthy of trying because they feel their dreams are not nurtured and they have no chance of a brighter future.

Film writer Blue Lloyd says the script was inspired by his own experience as a Grade 10 pupil, and so he wanted to profile the problem that Grade 10D learners experience.

“The story is very personal to me,” he said. “I am the product of the public-school system and feel very lucky to have achieved the little that I have, given my abysmal foundation. It broke my heart when I visited a school early in 2019 and learnt that the alphabetical grade categorisation system was still being practiced.”

The movie features local actors and actresses who belong to various community theatre groups around Thohoyandou, accompanied by some notable names on the silver screen, with Hebron Sigwavhulimu and Sylvester Makhado, among others, making an appearance in the movie.

“My love for the performing arts was nurtured in a community theatre group,” said the movie's director, Joseph Muthaphuli. “I fully understand how limited the opportunities are, especially if you are in Venda. So, it has always been my dream to give local theatre group members a chance. With Grade 10 D we did exactly that.”

Lidzhegu, who plays Mash, a lead in the movie, said the movie highlighted some of the challenges that pupils faced every day, such as family conflict, bullying, and female students’ relations with blessers.

“The character I play, Mash, may seem naïve due to the environment he finds himself in, but he is just another brick in a collapsing wall,” he said. “I hope that the movie will help parents to understand the motivation behind what they may refer as irrational decisions that young people make.”

He added that he hoped that young people in Mash’s position could perhaps seek alternative solutions for their challenges after watching the movie.

Grade 10D will premier in April and viewing venues will be communicated on most media platforms. Catch the latest on the movie’s Facebook page @grade10dmovie

By: Tshifhiwa Mukwevho

Tshifhiwa Given Mukwevho was born in 1984 in Madombidzha village, not far from Louis Trichardt in the Limpopo Province. After submitting articles for roughly a year for Limpopo Mirror's youth supplement, Makoya, he started writing for the main newspaper. He is a prolific writer who published his first book, titled A Traumatic Revenge in 2011. It focusses on life on the street and how to survive amidst poverty. His second book titled The Violent Gestures of Life was published in 2014.