By Hussein Kiganda
Qwela band frontman Joseph Kahirimbanyi, better known as Joe Kahiri, has told of his excitement at his first ever acting role playing a fearsome fisherman in the upcoming Ugandan film “Unheard”.
Having dominated the local Afro-fusion music scene with his band for the last 15 years, thanks to his impeccable song writing and ability to play many instruments, the multi-award winning musician has nothing left to prove but to test other waters.
In the movie, the 44-year-old musician trades his trademark guitar for a fishing net as he brings to life an antagonistic character named Bahemuka.
“Bahemuka is a very traditional African man with serious ego issues and deep-rooted insecurities which ultimately defines his world view and his interactions with other people in the story,” Kahiri said of his character, adding that it was love at first sight when he first read the script for the film back in 2021.
Directed by Joseph Ken Ssebaggala, “Unheard” tells the story of a young widow in a remote fishing village who emerges as an unlikely hero after defying a centuries-old cultural tradition.
The film was shot in 2022, in the picturesque landscapes of Kabale and Rweshama in rural south-western Uganda on a hefty budget of 150 million Ugandan shillings funded by a government grant.
Written and produced by acclaimed film critic and academic Polly Kamukama, the Rukiga dialect film stars fast-rising actress Jackline Katusiime in the lead role opposite Kahiri. The duo is supported by Herbert Nkera, Samson Asiimwe and veteran actor Cyril Baryabawe, along with Several local fishermen from around Lake Edward.
The movie will hit screens on October 27, 2023 at Century Cinemax in Kampala.
