LKOS: Expect a World Premiere in Uganda
Posted at 10:23 AM (PDT) on Monday, July 3, 2006
By John Nagenda
June 30, 2006
New Vision
Last year, a film company called Cowboy Films, came to town. (The Cow stood for its producer/owner Lisa, the Boy for her husband, somewhat younger than herself!)
The President, when I took the advance filming team to meet him, was amused at the name’s reasons. What Lisa and her crew wanted was to film the book, The Last King of Scotland by Giles Foden, and to do so here in Uganda. Usually the venue would have been the ubiquitous South Africa, failing which, Kenya. But the book, despite its title, is a fiction based on Amin Dada, so why not film it in Uganda?
The argument struck the President like an arrow, as it was bound to do. But Cowboy, operating on a slim budget, wanted some favours, including the waiving of some taxes, especially VAT. The President said yes, seeing that the film, if successful, would appeal greatly to potential tourists, business people and those needing beautiful surroundings for movies.
For Director, the already highly held Kevin Macdonald, with an Oscar and a Bafta, was secured, as were big actors led by Forrest Whittaker. The film was duly shot in Uganda.
Those who have seen the “rushes” are going crazy. Your columnist had been lucky enough to be directed by the President to be the government coordinator for the project.
In London last week, enjoying a glass of a great red in Lisa’s grand house, I was assured that Last King was about ready to hit the world between the eyes.
Nominations were expected for awards such as the Oscars, particularly Whittaker as the Monster, but, unlike trash such as Raid on Entebbe, played “in the round” not as plywood.
Expect a world premiere right here in our town, and who better to grace it than the one who gave the project the first, vital push, the President of Uganda, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni? Enjoy Uganda!