And the winner is!

Words by Alex Gwaze (Curator)
Questions by Alex Gwaze and Terry-Jo Thorne (Researcher & Writer)

Like most of you, I’ve never really paid attention to the name of the award given out at these shows or festivals. Especially since I feel most of the deserving artists either don’t get nominated or they do, but never win. They just get nominated along some ‘plant’ to legitimise that organisation’s credibility. You don’t have to look no further than Stanley Kubrick or MF DOOM to understand what I’m getting at. Nonetheless, there are a lot of deserving artists like Daniel Lasker, who have received the right accolades at the right time.

Daniel Lasker is an Actor and Filmmaker who has appeared in HBO Max’s “Raised By Wolves”, the History Channel’s “Abraham Lincoln”, BBC’s “Noughts and Crosses”, and SYFY’s “Vagrant Queen”. Locally he is known for his ground breaking short film, “The Signal” (Zimbabwe’s first Ndebele Sci-fi). A film that earned him the Best Short Film award at New York Sci-Fi Festival, and the Best Short Film award at Zimbabwe International Film Festival (ZIFF). In addition, Daniel’s body of work has garnered 4 Bulawayo Arts Awards (BAA) that include: Outstanding Director, Film, Actress, and Actor. However, for me what stands out about Daniel is that when he was still 17 or 18 years old, he was known as “one of Zimbabwe’s most promising Filmmakers”. The weight of ‘promise’ has stunted many Best Newcomer award winners careers. Therefore, the question that was always looming over Dan’s head was, “will he fulfill his potential?”

Daniel’s recent release of his debut feature film “Hidden Within”, proved to everyone that his putting in maximum effort, and definitely earned all the accolades bestowed upon him. What is more, Dan has lived up to his ‘promise’ and surpassed what was expected of him (for now). We talked to him to get a better understanding of how far his come and where his headed to.

AG: At 17 you were selected to represent Zimbabwe at World Championship of Performing Arts in Hollywood. By 18 you were being heralded as one of Zimbabwe’s most promising filmmakers. How have you dealt with the pressure of having to live up to such expectations?

DL: I always knew that the big dream of wanting to be a Filmmaker and an Actor would come with a lot of pressure. It’s not an easy life and it requires endless amounts of hard work. I think my love for the craft and commitment to the art keeps me focused and able to handle the pressure and responsibility. Also, although I’m still young (mid 20s), I’ve been working on growing my craft for about 9 years now. So that consistent commitment over time has allowed for me to be able to handle the demands and pressure of this field.

TJ: You acted in Zimbabwe’s first fantasy epic feature film, “The Telling Room”. Then you directed Zimbabwe’s first Ndebele sci-fi short film, “The Signal”. Am I noticing a pattern? It seems like you like making history.

DL: These films definitely have made history for the Zimbabwean Film sector. That wasn’t necessarily my main intention when working on those films, but naturally since they were a new genre for Zimbabwean Film and were on a scale that Zim hadn’t seen before, they played a big role in elevating our voice and standard as Zimbabwean Filmmakers. When making those films I really just focused on creating something which I would love and enjoy, and hopefully other people would feel the same way. I also love the idea of sharing something new with people, which they haven’t quite seen before, and we still have lots of room to shine in that area in Zimbabwe and Africa. I’m honoured to play a small part in establishing Zimbabwe’s voice on the global cinema stage.

AG: Talking about voices, “The Signal” was in Ndebele. Why in Ndebele? Are you fluent in Ndebele?

DL: For a long time I’ve wanted to make a Sci-Fi film in Zim. I really enjoy the genre and wanted to see it in an environment which it hadn’t been seen before. When I decided to do it in Bulawayo I realised that there was nothing really unique or special about doing it in English. There are so many English Sci-Fi movies and since we are already in a unique environment, let’s have a unique experience with the authentic language of the characters. The Ndebele sounds so beautiful and brings another dimension to the film. I’m not fluent in Ndebele. I’d love to be one day though. I can understand some parts of conversation and greet people, but I definitely want to learn more. The script was written in English, then adapted afterwards, so I knew what all the scenes were about and what the characters were saying.

TJ: So how did you navigate the language barrier and direct their actual performance?

DL: When it came to filming the scenes in Ndebele and having to direct my actors, even though I couldn’t understand all the words they were saying, I could focus on their expressions and their energy. Through that I could understand what they were feeling and communicating to the other person. So that was actually helpful to me in some ways.

AG: I’ve heard you talk about Zim’s film industry’s urgent need to meet international production standards. Story and directing aside, can you give us some technical tips related to how you achieved this high standard?

DL: The best advice I can give in this regard is to pick your team wisely. If you have a small but passionate team you can accomplish great things. For example, “The Signal” was made on a very low budget. We had a small but passionate team behind it and we were able to accomplish something we are proud of, from those very minimal resources. I made sure that I chose team members who understood the vision and were excited by it. People who were willing to give their maximum effort to help make something special. Further, the story, cinematography and editing appealed to a lot of people no matter what part of the world they are from. It’s a film that managed to transcend cultural barriers. Obviously if we had more resources when making it, we could have made it even bigger and more spectacular. But I’m proud of what we managed to pull off.

TJ: As an Actor you’ve worked on international projects like Sir Ridley Scott’s “Raised By Wolves” on HBO. You’ve also rubbed shoulders with Matias Varela (“Narcos”) and Travis Fimmel (“Vikings”). What’s the greatest lesson you’ve learnt from these international productions that you feel should be applied to the local industry?

DL: It’s been incredible working on those big projects and learning from some of the industries best. I grew so much on those sets but the most important thing I noted is how at that level everyone takes their job on set very seriously and respects the craft. No matter how big or small their role is. Not one person will arrive late for call time, and that’s something which needs to be understood more here in our local industry. Time is everything on a film set, you can’t be late.

AG: You played Abraham Lincoln’s son in the History channel’s “Abraham Lincoln”. People often complain about African-Americans playing famous Africans. So, what was it like being a foreigner playing a character so entrenched in America’s tragic history?

DL: It was really exciting. Abraham Lincoln is such an iconic and well know historical figure. When I filmed my scenes for that and stood opposite Lincoln in full costume and makeup I got goosebumps, it was like being with the actual man back in time. I had to wear a fake moustache for that character, which was very uncomfortable, but worth it! I also enjoyed talking with an American accent. It’s always fun getting to change your voice for a role.

AG: Putting your success in context. From “The Sandman” to “Transformers: Rise of The Beasts”, “Dr Who”, “Wakanda Forever”, “Mission Impossible 2”, and “Lost In Space” – Zimbabwean actors have been representing us well. Why do you think so many Zimbos excel as actors?

DL: Zimbabweans are very talented people, we are also scattered all over the world. In many industries, not just entertainment, Zimbabweans are shining. However it’s so wonderful that in the entertainment industry we are seeing more and more Zimbos rise and share their talents with the world. I think we have very strong willpower, and as an Actor that is one of the most essential qualities.

AG: On the other hand, the Zimbabwean film industry has steadily been producing films that are selected for international festivals, but little to no films have broken through into the international market (like a “District 9” or “Queen of Katwe” or “Nairobi Halflife”). What do you think is the problem?

DL: I think it’s only a matter of time before we have a big film breakthrough. Right now it’s about growth, and we are getting to a point where certain filmmakers are beginning to push the envelope of Zimbabwean film forward. The key is to tell original, unique stories in a way that can be enjoyed by any audience.

TJ: Lastly, I know Sci-fi is one of your favourite genres, but I read somewhere that you are good at horse back riding and sword fighting. So can we expect a ‘sword and sandals’ epic as your next Zimbabwean feature length project?

DL: (laughs) I do enjoy horse riding, though I haven’t ridden in about 2 years, and I do have a little bit of sword training experience. I would love to progress more in both areas and use them in future projects. But for now I’m still focused on my first feature. A Zimbabwean Thriller/ Mystery film called “Hidden Within”. Check it out!

Follow Daniel at: @danny_lasker
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