If you were wondering where Matthew Nabwiso was, wonder no more. The award-winning actor and his equally-talented wife have been busy.
Rain, a debut production effort by Nabwiso and his wife Eleanor, premiered at both Theatre La Bonita and National theatre earlier this year. But with the drama that has engulfed the arts industry generally, the film somehow flew under the media radar.
The film tells the story of Dora Nantongo (Eleanor Nabwiso) alias Rain, a Kawuku-based girl with dreams bigger than the village she stays in; dreams that land her into trouble.
Rain hopes she will one day leave Kawuku and make a name for herself as a musician. We meet many people including her grandmother (Joanita Bewulira Wandera), boyfriend (Michael Wawuyo Jr) and uncle (Philip Luswata).
Rain escapes from home to perform at a local talent show. What follows are a series of misfortunes as she ends up sleeping with a DJ who leaves her pregnant and infected with HIV.
Mary Nyanzi, the writer, somehow manages to weave a number of entertaining dialogues and keeps Rain’s pursuit of a dream alive while tackling subplots of what happens in lives of ambitious people. Rain becomes a maid, a bartender before ending up in a hospital compound, sick.
The film is a wise message on HIV/Aids that is carefully told to avoid being preachy or all over the place.
The film is a debut for the Nabwisos but also a first for Daniel Mugerwa the director; he does a good job from the choice of characters and cast that he exploits for the best.
With Bewulira, Luswata, Wawuyo Jr, city comedian Richard Tuwangye and Eleanor, among others, Mugerwa and Nabwiso struck gold.
The film’s only shortcoming is an exaggeration with the camera work; some scenes were done with a drone for aerial views, which really looked beautiful but somehow added nothing to the story. Rain is expected to do well at the Uganda Film Festival awards later this year as it is already shining in regional festivals.
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