Music by Prudence
- Prudence Mabhena
- Farai Mabhande
- Energy Maburutse
- Marvelous Mbulo
- Honest Mupatse
- Tapiwa Nyengera
- Goodwell Nzou
- Vusani Vuma
Music by Prudence is an American documentary film by director Roger Ross Williams from the year 2010. The short film tells the story of 21 -year-old singer Prudence Mabhena from Zimbabwe and won an Academy Award for Best Short Documentary.
Action
The film portrays the band Liyana from Zimbabwe to the young singer Prudence Mabhena. The band was founded a few years before the film shoot of a project for a school in Bulawayo. Both Mabhena and their seven bandmates are physically disabled. In the society in which the band grew up and lives disabilities are still considered a work of evil magic. The resulting thereby seemingly insurmountable difficulties and the way to overcome these problems are presented in the film.
Characters
The band Liyana is composed of the following band members:
- Singer Prudence Mabhena that from a congenital joint stiffness ( arthrogryposis multiplex congenita ) suffers.
- Keyboardist and backing vocalist Tapiwa Nyengera which a Neuralrohrfehlbildung (spina bifida ) has.
- Marimba Energy Maburutse has the so-called brittle bone disease ( osteogenesis imperfecta ).
- Marimba Honest Mupatse is hemophiliacs.
- Background singers Marvelous Mbulo suffers from muscular dystrophy.
- The deaf Vusani Vuma playing bass marimba.
- Drummer Goodwell Nzou lost a leg to amputation.
- Keyboardist Farai Mabhande suffers as a singer Mabhena on AMC.
Production and development
The African American Roger Ross Williams worked as a producer and director for various television programs and films. He wanted to make a film, it should play if possible in Africa. Williams asked his neighbor, the journalist and producer Elinor Burkett, to find an idea for his film. Burkett suggested to him the story of the band Liyana before and Williams said enthusiastically, so that could soon begin filming in Zimbabwe. Williams and Burkett understood as it was at the beginning of work on the project very well, but the narrative of the film, appeared on differences. Williams wanted to focus on singer Prudence Mabhena, whereas Burkett wanted to put the whole band in the center. Burkett was then released about a year before the film's release from their duties and immersed in the later film is not even in the credits on. Burkett complained against the eviction, both parties finally agreed out of court.
At the Academy Awards in 2010, there was a small scandal when Burkett, who was also awarded an Oscar because of their former activities, while Williams' acceptance speech came on the scene and interrupted him. Williams commented later to the following: I was the director, she was excluded almost a year ago by the project. The rights to the movie lie with me, she has none. It has nothing to do with the movie and has attacked me from behind. I was shocked right. An amusing note will get the anecdote with the statement Burkett that Williams ' 87 - year-old mother should have adjusted her with a crutch the way to the stage, which is why they reached this too late.
Premiere
The film premiered on 12 May 2010 on the pay- TV channel HBO premiere.
Awards
Music by Prudence won an Academy Award for Best Short Documentary at the Academy Awards 2010. The award went to director and producer Roger Ross Williams and Elinor Burkett to the former producer.
Other awards the film received best short film at the Africa World Documentary Film Festival and the DocuWest Film Festival. In addition, Music by Prudence won an Audience Award at the Florida Film Festival.