Shifting from sombre, celebrated actor and director Akin Omotoso talks to Shaun de Waal about his new movie, a romcom titled “Tell Me Sweet Something”.
Nigerian-born Akin Omotoso has been working in the South African film and television industry since the mid-1990s, doing a bit of everything – acting (Lord of War and Blood Diamond); producing (Jozi and TV show Sorted); writing and directing (TV series A Place Called Home, plus movies including his first directorial project, God Is African, in 2003, and the hard-hitting drama about xenophobia, Man on Ground, which came out in 2011).
Tell Me Sweet Something is his new movie, a romantic comedy set in Johannesburg. Written by Omotoso with producer Robbie Thorpe, it stars Maps Maponyane, Thomas Gumede and Nomzamo Mbatha.
What drew you to this particular project?
I always wanted to do a love story. I was very inspired by Love Jones, in 1997 – it’s a classic, and it started a new wave of romantic comedies. I liked the feeling it gave me. I thought I’d like to make a movie with that feeling – you know, you just feel good when you walk out.
I had that idea for a long time. Then the African Women’s Development Fund got hold of me. They had seen my 2008 short, Jesus and the Giant, and they asked me: “What do you want to do next?” I told them I wanted to develop a love story from the ground up. So they funded the development of the project.
For full Q+A and trailer, see Mail & Guardian
