Mpaso a 12 ans. Il est intelligent et ambitieux. Il emménage dans un nouveau quartier avec sa famille. Depuis leur déménagement du village vers la ville, ils ont beaucoup changé de maisons en raison de la difficulté de sa mère célibataire à joindre les deux bouts.
Ce processus sans fin a fait que Mpaso a du mal à s’intégrer aux autres enfants à cause de son visage défiguré (suite à l’incendie de leur maison au village quand il avait 6 ans). Les enfants refusent de jouer avec lui en le traitant de « Chibanda » (monstre).

avec
Emmanuel PHIRI

un film de Paul S. WILO

Zambie, 2020, Court métrage fiction, 15 mins, drame

Titre : LITTLE HUMANS
Type : Court métrage fiction
Durée : 14 minutes 52 secondes (environ 15 mins)
Date de finition : 12 Mars 2020
Budget de Production : 400 dollars US
Pays : Zambie
Pays de tournage : Zambie
Langues : Afrikaans, anglais
Format: FULL HD
Couleurs : Noir & Blanc / Couleur
Premier film : Non
Film de fin d’études : Non

ACTRICES / ACTEURS
Emmanuel PHIRI………….. « Mpaso »

Productrice :
Cecilia Pinky MWANSA

Réalisateur :
Paul S. WILO

Scénariste :
Paul S. WILO

WEB
https://filmfreeway.com/LITTLEHUMANS


FESTIVALS / PRIX
* Nominé : Meilleur film pour enfants (Best film for kids) /// Lake international film festival (Kenya, 2020)

12 year old intelligent and ambitious MPASO moves into a new neighbourhood with his family. Since their relocation from the village to the city, they have been changing houses quiet a lot due to his single mother’s struggle to make ends meet.
This endless process has made Mpaso struggle to fit in with the other kids because of his disfigured face that he got from their burning house in the village when he was 6 years old. The kids refuse to play with him calling him a monster (Chibanda). Fortunately he uses his big brains to win one of the girl’s over. He solves TOMAIDAH’S history homework and offers to give her private lessons. The two bond and become very good friends that she initiates more of her friends to the idea. The school slowly becomes popular and the other girl squad feels threatened by how everyone has started hanging out with Mpaso. They discover that even Tomaidah has joined the school, this angers the group leader CHICHI and she plots to destroy the initiative. She conspires with the compound bully VICTOR to have the board stolen. The duo sneak into the classroom and steal the board and destroy the teaching aids while no one is watching.
In the morning when more kids gather with their books to resume their lessons they find Mpaso weeping in the middle of the classroom and Tomaidah wipes away the tears from his face; the first time someone actually touches his burnt face. Chichi comes to the rescue and offers the other kids to join him as she is doing modelling lessons. The other kids leave the classroom and join chichi and victor.
On his way to the market the following day he meets victor who beats him up calling him a freak. Mpaso proceeds to the market and when coming back he finds victor at the exact spot crying his eyes out. He is busy looking for a k5 that his mother gave him to buy vegetables. Mpaso feels sorry for him, and since he has a big heart he offers to help him look. The two look and they don’t find it, Mpaso offers to give him his mother’s change-victor is grateful. He goes home and tells the mother that he lost the money.
Victor comes by after hours with Mpaso’s board and gives it back as a token of thanks. The two who are later joined by Tomaidah help rebuild the classroom and have fun doing it. When the other kids are informed that the classes have resumed they run from chi chi’s mean games and return to Mpaso’s lessons. Chichi realises she has lost, she swallows her pride and asks if she can be part of it, victor chases her calling her a bad influence but Mpaso allows her to join and follow the class rules. She apologises for being mean and jealous. All the kids in the end have fun learning from Mpaso.

starring
Emmanuel PHIRI

a film by Paul S. WILO

Zambia, 2020, Short, 15 mins, drama

Title: LITTLE HUMANS
Type: Short drama
Runtime: 14 minutes 52 seconds (circa 15 mins)
Completion Date: March 12, 2020
Production Budget: 400 USD
Country of Origin: Zambia
Country of Filming: Zambia
Language: Afrikaans, English
Shooting Format: FULL HD
Film Color: Black & White and Color
First-time Filmmaker: No
Student Project: No

Director Statement
Unlike adults, how kids resolved their misunderstandings always amused me. telling this story was a fascinating experience for, how the physical appearance and prejudice stop mattering in the kids world was what intrigued to tell this story. how relocating to another place was both scary and exciting. it was necessary for me to tell this story that regardless of physical appearance, gender or educational background we are all joined together by the spirit of Ubuntu.

CAST
Emmanuel PHIRI………….. « Mpaso »

Producer
Cecilia Pinky MWANSA

Director
Paul S. WILO

Writer
Paul S. WILO


WEB
https://filmfreeway.com/LITTLEHUMANS


FESTIVALS / AWARDS
* Nominee: Best film for kids /// Lake international film festival (Kenya, 2020)