The Signal is a Zimbabwean post-apocalyptic scifi production directed by Daniel Lasker starring Tawanda Denga, Dumie Manyathela and Natasha Dlamini.
The Signal
The short film is set in a post-apocalyptic location in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe where a mysterious “signal” corrupts and controls those who hear it, turning them into soulless demons. Endure and Survive!!! (that phrase has been stuck in my mind since watching The Last Of Us; review coming when I watch the last episode 📌)
The Good
First thing first, my regulars will know that I have penchant for Sci-Fi and Fantasy (books and movies) especially Afrocentric renditions of such themes and genres.
The Signal is Zimbabwe’s first Sci-Fi Film!!!!!!Talk about ground breaking and its in Ndebele with English subtitles.
The casting is brilliant, Tawanda Denga’s character David was hard and loved the trio’s on screen chemistry, whatever else these guys are in, count me in to watch it.
The cinematography and visual effects are on point, of course you can tell the production budget was limited, but they made it work.
Its intense with a haunting soundtrack that keep you on the edge of your seat for the entire runtime.
Don’t take my word for it, The Signal has bagged a couple of awards on the local scene and internationally such as Best Live Action Short Film at the 2022 Brooklyn SciFi Festival and the Daniel Lasker scooped the director’s prize for cultural impact and achievement at the 2022 Film Quest festival.
The Bad
Its very short… it’s 17 minutes and 45 seconds, well, it is a short film.
You get to the end and be like, I hope they are making the rest of it because this is such a teaser… It feels more like the intro to a pilot episode of a TV show..
I have so many unanswered questions, what happens next, what’s up with The Signal, why is it here, where is the rest of the world… but then you could say its just a short film that’s the beauty of it, to make up the answers as you go.
The Ugly
Its not an entirely original concept, for example there is the 2016 movie Cell based on a book by Stephen King where a cell signal turns people into zombies… And I watched The Signal while waiting for the next episode of The Last Of Us which is a TV series based on video game set in a post apocalyptic world with zombies and of course, you have to do, what you have to do, to endure and survive.
Final Thoughts
It’s a first for Zimbabwe and wont take away the ground breaking work. Someone has to forge the path and hopefully this is the first of more to come. Fun Fact: The script was originally drafted in English but changed to Ndebele because *in Sparta Voice* This Is Zimbabwe.
The film is available to stream on DUST YouTube channel. Dust is a popular scifi channel that presents thought-provoking science fiction stories, exploring the future of humanity through the lens of science and technology
Becoming The Muse 
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