Cameroonian actress and movie producer, Stephanie Tum Official, is proof that the more empowered women we have, the more productivity we will reap.
Prior to 2019, the Cameroonian movie industry had been putting in work, and most of the strides were directed towards glitz and glamour. There were very few were movies that were typically Cameroonian without the aid of some popular Nigerian faces to give it relevance and recognition.
With continuous effort and endless belief in what it would take to raise the standards and make our own originality felt in the movie industry, EMBI Production run by actress and producer Stephanie Tum, embarked on a journey to produce “Saving Mbango“, a Cameroonian movie with a unique storyline, and with boldly Cameroonian faces.
The movie did not only breathe an air of confidence but it literally exaled fear in most movie producers, to go all out and trust their own.
Saving Mbango, which is currently available on Amazon Prime Video, attracted major investors to the Cameroonian movie industry, like telecommunication company, Orange Cameroon, to a path that has been eased and led the way for other Cameroonian movie producers today.
The marketing of the movie, also set the bar high and introduced a new marketing model to Cameroonians, as it toured in several major Cameroonian cities namely; Douala, Yaounde, Buea and even Bamenda, in the midst of a deadly Anglophone crisis.
Saving Mbango was the first of its kind in recent times to have a full blown team to manage marketing, public relations and community management activities both online and offline, which also involved actively working with many media outlets and anglophone bloggers from Cameroon. Let’s just say that Stephanie Tum and her team understood the assignment!
In all, “Saving Mbango” may not have made it to #Netflix, but based on the way it has paved a path for the English movie industry in Cameroon, you cannot talk about impactful Cameroonian movies without mentioning that movie.
The movie did not only birth stars like Godisz Fungwa who played a leading role but it rejuvenated the relevance of actors like Laura Onyama, who was already a star by 2016 but many did not know about her until her appearance on #SavingMbango as it’s leading actress.
We might not say it all the time, but Stephanie Tum like any entertainment stakeholder deserves her accolades, and if we don’t give it to her, who will?
Have you watched Saving Mbango? What’s your take on the movie?
